Founded in 1889 by brothers André and Édouard Michelin, the Michelin tire company aimed to boost tire sales by encouraging road trips across France. The brothers journeyed outside the fences of their small French town, Clermont-Ferrand, to the wide-open road. Developing a little red book as a guide for travelers on similar journeys along the way.

Back then, the guide was strictly for necessities - maps, fueling stations, tire changing stops, etc. – it was the perfect glove box addition. After all, at this time, there were fewer than 3,000 cars on the roads of France.

As time went on and the world of cars evolved, so would the little red book. In 1920, the brothers began including lists of restaurants (and a few hotels) for consumers to venture to. But they couldn’t just recommend any restaurant. No, Michelin wanted the best of the best. According to their website, in 1926, Michelin introduced ‘mystery diners’—anonymous restaurant inspectors—to review eateries and award one-to-three-star ratings based on strict criteria.

On Nov. 11, 2024, Michelin Guide launched its inaugural Texas guide, awarding six restaurants in Houston with one Michelin Star. Tatemó, BCN Taste & Tradition, Le Jardinier Houston, March, Musaafer and CorkScrew BBQ in Spring, earned the highly sought recognition, based on the following criteria: exceptional quality of ingredients, harmony of flavors, master of cooking techniques, consistency and the chef’s personality as reflected in the cuisine. The State of Texas and the city tourism boards of five cities, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, invested a total of $2.7 million to bring the Michelin Guide to the Lone Star State. Houston was the first of the five to receive visits from the mystery diners, and the city itself will invest a total of $270,000 for the three-year contract.

While Houston’s Michelin Guide was released on Nov. 11, it remains a mystery how long the inspectors have actually been in the Bayou City. In order to fulfill the consistency criteria, restaurants who earn a star must have their menu items reviewed multiple times during varying times of the day. It is a possibility that over the next two years the guide is reviewing Houston, previously rated restaurants may earn additional stars and new restaurants may even be added!

The guide first came to North America in 2005 unsolicited, where they released a publication listing 500 restaurants in five boroughs of New York City and 50 hotels in Manhattan. It was in this publication that the first-ever North American restaurant would earn a Michelin Star.

In today’s world of North American Michelin though, it is up to the individual state’s visitors and tourism bureau to invite and pay for the guide to sample restaurants within their state or even within very specific cities. While unconfirmed, this cost is likely in place to accommodate expenses of training, paying inspectors. In addition to New York, there are also Michelin Guides available for Washington D.C., California, Florida, Colorado and Canada.

“From a local tourism standpoint, this is absolutely worth the investment, said Kyle Hight, an assistant professor in the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at The University of Houston.

Before he was even officially hired at the College, Hight became known as the in-house Michelin expert. This is because he worked in a restaurant that was awarded one Michelin Star, he previously resided in Atlanta, Georgia while the guide was reviewing restaurants there during a similar three-year period, him and his wife have eaten at numerous Michelin recognized restaurants and he studied at The Culinary Institute of America.

While in college, Hight saved his money for three years to purchase a graduation present to himself – this gift was in the form of delectable food. Hight traveled across the world just to eat a meal from a three-star restaurant. And boy, was it delicious!

Typically, restaurants with two to three Michelin stars are known as luxurious and exclusive. Meals often cost $500 per person, not including drinks or tips. The ambiance, décor and service is without-a-doubt impeccable every time. Offering elite customers privileges such as high-end steak knives to cut into meats or $500 Cartier pens to sign their checks. “If you get a Michelin star, you’re pretty much on a different stratosphere,” said Hight.

For those though who are not able to venture to a high-end restaurant such as this, the Michelin Guide created a category known as Bib Gourmand. These are awards given to restaurants that serve high-quality meals at a reasonable price, typically averaging $49 per meal. Many of Houston’s beloved Tex-Mex or BBQ restaurants would likely fall into this category. And many actually did! Michelin recognized 17 Houston restaurants in the Bib Gourmand portion of the 2024 guide.

When looking at the other cities Michelin has visited, it’s no surprise that just the buzz alone positively impacts culture, tourism, exposure, cuisine and revenue. Houston is a fantastic hub for this type of growth because its infrastructure is already built for international travel, public transportation and cultural diversity.

“When Michelin announces they’re coming to a city, the change is palpable, you can feel it in the air, said Hight.