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AZ restaurants earn honors from Michelin Guide
A number of Arizona food establishments have earned recognition from Michelin Guide, including Michelin Recommended and Bib Gourmand honors. FOX 10's Taylor Wirtz reports.
PHOENIX - For the first time ever, several Arizona restaurants are part of the Michelin Guide as it moves into the Southwest.
The backstory:
On Wednesday night, 19 state establishments received awards, including 12 classified as "Michelin Recommended." The list includes:
- Atria – Flagstaff
- Bacanora – Phoenix
- Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion – Phoenix
- Fry Bread House – Phoenix
- Glai Baan – Phoenix
- Hush Public House – Scottsdale
- INDIBAR – Paradise Valley
- Latha – Phoenix
- Pretty Penny – Phoenix
- RESERVE – Scottsdale
- Shinbay – Scottsdale
- Tratto – Phoenix
Seven others earned the "Bib Gourmand" distinction, recognizing high-quality food at a great value:
- FnB – Scottsdale
- Huarachis Taqueria – Phoenix
- kid sister – Phoenix
- Little Miss BBQ – Phoenix
- Lom Wong – Phoenix
- Pizzeria Bianco – Phoenix
- Valentine – Phoenix
Dig deeper:
Three chefs also took home individual honors, with Rene Andrade from Bacanora winning the "Young Chef Award", FnB Scottsdale's Charleen Badman taking the "Mindful Voices" distinction, and Reserve Scottsdale’s John Germain winning the "Sommelier Award."
What they're saying:
"It's a meaningful moment for not just me, but my team, because we work extremely hard to get where we're at, and finally a little recognition," said Rochelle Daniel, chef and partner at Atria. "It just makes us, it puts a fire under us to want to, you know, get that star."
"I know that we are incredibly lucky to be receiving this type of honor and we’re gonna keep pushing," said Nico Zades, executive chef at Valentine.
Big picture view:
While no Arizona restaurants walked away with a coveted star Wednesday, the state's Office of Tourism says just being in the guide is a massive draw for travelers worldwide.
"74% of travelers say that they are more likely to choose a destination if it has Michelin ratings," said Josh Coddington, director of communications for the Arizona Office of Tourism. "So just the idea that Arizona is Michelin rated is a deciding factor for travelers."
Restaurant leaders believe this is just the first course for the local food scene.
"I have every bit of confidence in the culinary teams that we have here and the culinary talent we have in Arizona that it's just a matter of time, maybe just a few years, that we'll start to see Arizona restaurants receive that star quality," said Steve Chucri, president and CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Rochelle Daniel, Nico Zades, Josh Coddington, and Steve Chucri.