SALT LAKE CITY — Utah could earn its first-ever culinary Michelin star as the renowned Michelin Guide plans to highlight its growing Wasatch Front and Wasatch Back for its 2026 edition.
The Michelin Guide announced Monday that it will focus on the American Southwest, highlighting noteworthy places in Utah, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico in the upcoming publication: “The Michelin Guide Southwest.”
“Our anonymous inspectors have been eager to expand further into the Southwest and share their discoveries with the world,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide. “We are excited to showcase the distinct cuisine styles that are representative of the cultures throughout the Southwest, which blends a rich mix of traditions and culinary talent.”
While it’s unclear yet what from Utah will be featured, Michelin Guide officials said the publication — to be released in 2026 — will offer reviews and recommendations of the region’s “culinary richness in its entirety,” ranging from “celebrated metropolitan hubs to distinctive communities across the region.”
A logo of the Wasatch Culinary Collective was included in a teaser video that the French company posted on Monday, and leaders of the collective — Visit Salt Lake, Visit Park City and Sundance Resort — say that the Wasatch region will be highlighted in the publication.
Michelin sent various anonymous inspectors to make reservations and explore neighborhoods to scout potential restaurants or other culinary businesses to recommend to travelers. The guide is famous for offering stars to noteworthy places. One star means that a location is “worth a stop,” while two stars mean it’s “worth a detour,” and three stars indicate that the place is “worth a special journey.”
The Michelin Guide is perhaps most recognized for its food recommendations, but it also makes other types of travel suggestions. In 2018, the guide handed down a prestigious three-star rating to Utah for its outdoor gems, especially its national parks. It has never issued one for any of its restaurants, however.
Members of the Wasatch collective hope that changes in 2026. They believe the guide can introduce the world to the region’s emerging culinary scene.
“Salt Lake’s culinary community has been growing in extraordinary ways, and we are thrilled to see that talent recognized on a global stage,” said Kaitlin Eskelson, president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake, in a statement. “We have long known how special the food, hospitality and creativity along the Wasatch Front truly are.”
“Exceptional cuisine and hospitality” are baked into Park City’s DNA, adds Jennifer Wesselhoff, president and CEO of Visit Park City. She’s hopeful that the 2026 edition will bring “deserved visibility” to the Wasatch Back’s chefs and hospitality teams as well.
The guide is expected to announce its full restaurant selection during a ceremony in 2026. The date and location of that event will be announced next year, officials said on Monday.
Next year will also mark the guide’s 100th anniversary of handing out stars, according to the publication. It was created by the French tire manufacturer in 1900 to encourage travel, but the stars dished out by “mystery diners” that the guide hired to review restaurants has helped to differentiate businesses.
The publication’s ratings are considered a high honor in the culinary scene to this day, often boosting visitation, but not everyone is thrilled by them. In 2018, a three-star chef asked the guide to drop his French restaurant from the list “because of the huge pressure involved,” the Associated Press reported at the time.
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Dining and Cooking