Michelin returned to Las Vegas after a long absence, and it didn’t show up bearing a lot of gifts.
On Tuesday night at the Fontainebleau on the Strip, as part of Michelin’s return to Sin City, it unveiled its first guide to the American Southwest—and it only awarded stars to five restaurants across four states. The French tire company sent its famed restaurant inspectors back to Vegas for the first time since it left in the wake of the 2009 financial crisis, and also had its critics fan across Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and the rest of Nevada, too.
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“As tonight marked our momentous return to Las Vegas, and more broadly the Southwest region, we were able to celebrate the dedication and passion of the outstanding restaurant communities throughout these four states,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the guide’s international director. But Michelin mostly celebrated Vegas, with nearly all of the stars in the new guide clustered there.
Monte was the lone restaurant outside of Las Vegas to earn a star in the Southwest guide.
The big winner on the night was Restaurant de Joël Robuchon on the ground floor of the MGM Grand, which was the lone dining destination to earn two stars across the region. Another spot bearing the name of the legendary French chef also won a star, with L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, also at the MGM Grand, taking home an étoile. The next star went to a famous Spaniard’s spot, as é by José Andrés, which is inside Jaleo at the Cosmopolitan, won recognition. And the last Vegas restaurant to earn a star was the outpost of another French legend, Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace. The only place in the Southwest outside of Las Vegas to be awarded a star was Monte, a contemporary American destination in South Salt Lake, Utah.
Michelin handed out far fewer stars in Las Vegas compared to the last time it rated the city back in 2009, when 17 restaurants earned the guide’s highest recognitions, including three stars for Joël Robuchon. The city still fared better than the rest of the region, including Arizona, where its office of tourism spent $200,000 to lure Michelin to the state, according to the Phoenix New Times, but came up empty-handed. However, Michelin doesn’t just award stars. Bib Gourmands recognize what the guide defines as “great restaurants at a great value.” There were 18 establishments winning Bibs across the four states, and, in all, 64 restaurants encompassing 24 different types of cuisine were recognized in the new Southwest U.S. guide.
Michelin-Starred Restaurants in the Southwest U.S. Two Stars
Restaurant de Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas
One Star
é by José Andrés, Las Vegas
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas
Monte, South Salt Lake, Utah
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