PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona officially has a seat at the Michelin table.
Though the Grand Canyon State did not receive a much-anticipated Michelin star, over a dozen restaurants earned honors at the inaugural Southwest Michelin ceremony.
Nineteen Valley restaurants were named in the first-ever Michelin Guide Southwest, which highlights premier dining destinations across Arizona, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico.
Arizona shined in the competitive Bib Gourmand category by securing seven of the 18 total destinations, the most of any individual state. The category showcases high-quality dining for a great value.
FnB Scottsdale (left) and Lom Wong (right) were among 2 Arizona restaurants named to the Michelin Guide Southwest.(Arizona Office of Tourism)
The restaurants that received the Bib Gourmand award include:
FnB – ScottsdaleHuarachis Taqueria – Phoenixkid sister – PhoenixLittle Miss BBQ – PhoenixLom Wong – PhoenixPizzeria Bianco – PhoenixValentine – Phoenix
See the full list of all Bib Gourmand Southwest eateries.
Michelin also named 12 Arizona restaurants to its Selected, or Recommended, restaurant list, recognizing establishments inspectors say deliver high-quality cooking worthy of inclusion in the guide. The restaurants include:
Atria – FlagstaffBacanora – PhoenixChristopher’s at Wrigley Mansion – PhoenixFry Bread House – PhoenixGlai Baan – PhoenixHush Public House – ScottsdaleINDIBAR – Paradise ValleyLatha – PhoenixPretty Penny – PhoenixRESERVE – ScottsdaleShinbay – ScottsdaleTratto – Phoenix
Valley chefs, sommelier earn top honors
Arizona chefs, restaurants and hospitality professionals earned several major honors, marking a milestone for the state’s growing food scene.
René Andrade, chef at Bacanora and Huarachis Taqueria, recieved the Michelin Young Chef Award. Andrade was celebrated for bringing his standout, fire-grilled Sonoran flavors to the desert.
Charleen Badman, chef and co-owner of FnB Scottsdale, received the Michelin Mindful Voices award. Badman was spotlighted for pioneering farm-to-table supply chains, seasonal vegetable-forward menus and community food advocacy.
John Germain, sommelier at RESERVE Scottsdale, received a Michelin sommelier award for his exceptional wine curation, pairing expertise and his stellar tableside hospitality.
Chefs René Andrade (left) and Charleen Badman (center), along with sommelier John Germain (right), earned individual honors at the inaugural Southwest Michelin ceremony.(Arizona Office of Tourism)Who did earn a Michelin star?
Despite rumors swirling of which restaurants could have earned a Michelin star, Arizona was sadly not awarded any.
Five restaurants received Michelin stars in Nevada and Utah, including four in Las Vegas alone.
Restaurant de Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas was the lone eatery to earn two Michelin stars.
Monte in Salt Lake City and three other Vegas restaurants, L’atelier de Joël Robuchon, Guy Savoy Las Vegas, é by José Andrés, all received one Michelin star.
Arizona home to evolving food scene
For Arizona, the announcement puts some of the state’s most recognizable restaurants — from barbecue and pizza to Mexican, Thai and fine dining — into Michelin’s global guide for the first time.
While the state’s first Michelin star remains up for grabs, 19 selections and several individual honors give Arizona’s evolving food story a new level of international recognition.
Desert Table explores the people, places and flavors shaping Arizona’s food scene Sundays on Good Morning Arizona.
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Dining and Cooking