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(This post is excerpted from Scene Dining Editor Doug Trattner’s weekly CLE Bites newsletter. Want more stories like this directly in your inbox every Saturday morning? Subscribe here.)
A decade ago, the idea that Michelin Guide inspectors would descend upon Cleveland’s restaurant scene would have been ludicrous. Not because of the quality of our product, but simply because we were well outside the scope of their purview. The famous French tire company had not deigned to cross the pond until 2005, when it published its first American guide that covered the five boroughs of New York City.
But things have shifted since then, with Michelin rolling out new guides with fresh urgency. Since touching down in the Big Apple, the revered reviewers have advanced to California, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Florida. As you can see, some guides are limited to a specific city, while others ostensibly cover an entire state.
Expansion has picked up even more lately with the introduction of regional guides, such as the American South Guide and the Northeast Cities Guide, which until now had consisted solely of Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C. But this year, Philadelphia and Boston were added to the mix.
So what is fueling all this expansion? Well, money, of course. Over the past decade or so, Michelin has begun “partnering” with regional tourism boards to help offset the expense of bringing inspectors in to undertake the comprehensive review process. These deals, once struck, secure a commitment by Michelin to evaluate the best restaurants in their cities. It does not, however, guarantee that a single star will be granted.
And we’re talking a lot of money here, folks. In a recent New York Times article, a representative from the Colorado Tourism Office stated that his agency agreed to pay $100,000 a year for three years to bring in inspectors. But those state funds were matched by other payouts ($70,000 to $100,000 each, according to the Times) from civic and private groups from Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Vail and the resort communities of Snowmass and Beaver Creek.
Cities or regions who decline to “partner” with Michelin will not be included, which is why we used the word “ostensibly” earlier. Although it is a Colorado Guide, many excellent restaurants were immediately ineligible simply because they were located in cities that refused to pony up.
There is no denying the luster of a Michelin star – or two, or three. They serve as a beacon for travelers, who increasingly plan entire trips around dining. International travelers especially use Michelin stars to guide their journeys. Professionals who have earned stars are forever referred to as “Michelin-starred chefs.” Not only does the recognition bring in hordes of diners, it brings in talent, much the same way a James Beard Award attracts would-be sous chefs.
When evaluating a meal, the anonymous inspectors evaluate the quality of ingredients; mastery of flavor and cooking techniques; personality of the chef represented in the dining experience; harmony of the flavors; and consistency between visits. The stars, from one to three, famously translate to worth a stop, worth a detour, and worth a journey. Stars must be re-earned every year.
When the first Michelin Guide Colorado was to be published in 2023, Laura Young was eagerly anticipating the results. As founder and editor of New Denizen, an independent website that expertly covers Denver’s frothy food scene, Young digested the news. That first year, only five restaurants in the entire state earned one-star acclaim, three of which are located in Denver. None earned two or three stars.
In the latest roundup, eight Colorado restaurants earned one-star distinction and one snagged two stars.
As an insider, Young has opinions.
“From a local perspective, I don’t think anyone in the industry would say that the list gets it 100-percent right,” she told me via email. “There are some absolutely glaring omissions which makes everyone scratch their heads.”
Apart from that notable Michelin-starred taco stand in Mexico City, Michelin-starred restaurants tend to adhere to a format. They typically are those temples of gastronomy lorded over by tweezer-obsessed chefs who host multi-course, tasting menu-only meals that fetch hundreds of dollars per person. Those and super-luxe Japanese omakase counters.
That certainly proved true in Denver, Young noted.
“They clearly have a preference for a certain type of restaurant – namely expensive tasting menus,” she said.
Of the seven Michelin-starred restaurants in Denver, all but two are tasting-menu-style restaurants, according to Young.
So the obvious question is: Will Cleveland ever play host to those famed and feared Michelin inspectors, perhaps as part of a new Midwest Guide or Great Lakes Guide. I reached out to a representative from Destination Cleveland, the organization that likely would be responsible for bringing them to town, for an answer.
“Cleveland’s culinary scene is a hallmark of our visitor experience,” Emily Lauer, VP of PR for Destination Cleveland responded. “If Michelin continues to broaden the markets they review, we’d be open to learning more, including how recognition like Michelin stars contributes to growth in both tourism and local restaurants’ sales.”
How would we fare if we did get the Michelin treatment? It’s impossible to say given the subjectivity, secrecy and fluidity of the evaluation process. There doesn’t appear to be a large number of area restaurants that fit neatly into the Michelin mold. And any located outside Cuyahoga County proper – Destination Cleveland’s coverage area – would likely not be up for consideration.
Of course, there are lesser distinctions such as the Bib Gourmand, which signify a “good value” eatery, and Michelin-recommended restaurants, which fail to achieve either starred or Bib Gourmand status. But any of these achievements are honors that will bring diners through the door.
“For restaurants that get stars for the first time, it definitely impacts their business in the short term,” adds Young from Denver. “To make it last long term, that’s up to the team to deliver the experience that brings people back or makes them recommend.”
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