Inaugural Michelin SW guide snubs Tucson restaurants

For Tucson diners and the businesses that depend on culinary tourism, the inaugural Michelin Guide Southwest delivered a sharp disappointment: not one restaurant in the city received a recommendation, Bib Gourmand designation or Michelin star. That omission stands out because Tucson was the first city in the United States named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, a distinction built around its food traditions, agricultural heritage and local restaurant culture. The guide recognized 19 Arizona restaurants, but every one except Atria in Flagstaff was located in Phoenix, Scottsdale or nearby Paradise Valley.

The Michelin Southwest ceremony took place Aug. 26 at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, after a regional guide covering Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Nevada was announced last December. Arizona’s Office of Tourism contributed $200,000 to a partnership with neighboring states to bring Michelin to the Southwest. The guide’s arrival was expected to increase the region’s visibility among travelers and potentially generate more tourism and tax revenue. Michelin says its inspectors retain editorial independence, even though tourism agencies and government partners help fund the guides.

Michelin inspectors work anonymously, and neither restaurants nor tourism officials are told when visits occur. The organization says inspections may happen anywhere from one month to a year before a guide is announced. Felipe Garcia, president and chief executive of Visit Tucson, said he believes inspectors visited Tucson, though he acknowledged there is no way to confirm that. He said he was surprised and disappointed by the city’s absence, while also noting that representatives from other Michelin destinations had warned him that receiving no recognition in the first year is common. In those cities, he said, the list typically expands during the second and third editions.

The Arizona restaurants that were recognized still produced a substantial showing, though none received a star. Twelve earned Michelin’s recommended designation, which indicates verified quality and culinary skill under the guide’s standards. They included Atria in Flagstaff, Bacanora, Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion, Fry Bread House, Glai Baan, Latha, Pretty Penny and Tratto in Phoenix, along with Hush Public House, Reserve and ShinBay in Scottsdale, and Indibar in Paradise Valley. Bib Gourmand honors, given to restaurants offering high quality at a good value, went to FnB, Huarachis Taqueria, Kid Sister, Little Miss BBQ, Lom Wong, Pizzeria Bianco and Valentine.

Across the entire Southwest region, Michelin awarded one star to four restaurants and two stars to Restaurant de Joël Robuchon. Four of the five starred restaurants were in Las Vegas, while the remaining one was in Utah. The lack of an Arizona star prompted a backlash from diners and food personalities online. Mr. AZ Sports questioned why Christopher’s did not receive a star, while another creator said Arizona had outstanding restaurants and deserved future reconsideration. Ian Simon identified Scottsdale’s Course as a major omission, noting that it did not even receive a recommendation.

Other social media users cited Scottsdale’s Kai and Cafe Monarch as surprising absences. Cafe Monarch’s team did see recognition for its other restaurant, Reserve, which was recommended, while Reserve wine director John Germain won Michelin’s Sommelier Award. Positive reactions also highlighted restaurants that did make the guide. Little Miss BBQ was praised as possibly the best barbecue restaurant in the country, while Kid Sister and Hush Public House were called hidden gems. The online frustration extended to Tucson, where commenters said the city’s UNESCO designation and restaurant quality made its complete absence especially difficult to understand.

Several Tucson restaurants appeared to observers as natural candidates for recognition. Bata, chef Tyler Fenton’s downtown restaurant at 35 East Toole Avenue, has drawn national attention for its innovative and frequently changing menu since opening with siblings Zach and Courtney Fenton in spring 2022. The restaurant has been featured by Bon Appétit, The New York Times and Sunset Magazine. Boca by chef Maria Mazon, who has appeared on Food Network programs and Bravo’s Top Chef, was another expected contender. El Charro Cafe, the nation’s oldest continuously family operated Mexican restaurant, was also left off the list.

Jonathan Mabry, executive director of Tucson City of Gastronomy, said he was surprised Michelin inspectors did not appear to recognize the work underway among Tucson chefs. Fenton watched the ceremony from home and said he was pleased that Arizona was receiving broader attention, even though Tucson was overlooked. He expressed confidence that Tucson restaurants could appear in future editions, while emphasizing that his restaurant’s primary focus remains its guests, staff and community rather than outside awards. Garcia likewise described Michelin recognition as a long term process and said Tucson has restaurants capable of earning it.

Tucson connections did appear in the Arizona results. FnB in Scottsdale, which received a Bib Gourmand, is co-owned by Pavle Milić, who opened Los Milics Restaurant and Tasting Room on East Congress Street this spring. FnB chef and Milić’s business partner, Tucson native Charleen Badman, received Michelin’s Mindful Voices Award for her work with local farm to table supply networks, food advocacy and seasonal vegetable focused cooking. Phoenix chef René Andrade received the Young Chef Award for Bacanora. His former business partners, Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin, opened Tortilla Chiwas in Tucson’s Barrio Hollywood on Aug. 27. Those connections give Tucson a presence around the new guide, even if no local restaurant made its pages.