Representatives from restaurants recognized in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Southwest gather onstage during the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Restaurant Ceremony in Las Vegas. HANDLE was among three Park City restaurants to earn a MICHELIN Recommended designation. Photo: Handle Resturaunt
PARK CITY, Utah — More than a decade after opening its doors just off Main Street, HANDLE has earned a place in the inaugural Michelin Guide Southwest, giving one of Park City’s longtime restaurants recognition from one of the world’s best-known dining guides and adding to the city’s growing dining profile.
HANDLE was named a Michelin Recommended restaurant in the guide’s first Southwest edition, which covers Utah, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. The restaurant was one of three Park City establishments to receive the designation, alongside Matilda and The Nelson Cottage by High West, underscoring local recognition across the city.
“It’s honestly pretty surreal,” Executive Chef and owner Briar Handly told TownLift. “HANDLE has been such a big part of our lives for so many years, and we’ve always just tried to make it a place we’re proud of and a place that feels like Park City.”
Similar Reads On TownLift
HANDLE opened in 2014 and was founded by chef Briar Handly and partners Melissa Gray and Meagan Nash. The restaurant has built its identity around seasonal American cuisine, sourcing local and regional ingredients when possible and using contemporary techniques to reinterpret familiar dishes.
The restaurant describes its approach as driven by the seasons, community, and the ingredients available from regional producers.
For HANDLE’s ownership, the Michelin designation is as much a recognition of the restaurant’s staff as its food.
“To have Michelin recognize what we’ve built here, and especially the work our team puts in every day, means a lot,” Handly said. “I’m just really proud of everyone who’s been a part of it, past and present, and grateful to this community for continuing to support us.”
Michelin inspectors anonymously evaluate restaurants before choosing establishments for the guide. Michelin Selected, often described as Michelin Recommended, restaurants are included in the guide for the quality of their cooking but do not carry a Michelin Star or Bib Gourmand designation.
HANDLE is located at 136 Heber Ave. in Park City.
The owner also pointed to the recognition as a broader moment for Utah’s growing restaurant scene, beyond HANDLE itself.
“Congrats to our friends in PC and SLC who were recognized as well.”
Similar Reads On TownLift
Dining and Cooking