Annie Mulligan Yeah, it’s a lot of thoughts about Michelin. And some other stuff. Look, for the last two months all we’ve talked about is Michelin. The Guide making its way to Texas and holding its first ceremony is obviously a big idea. We’re locked in for three more years of this, at least. And we’re expecting restaurants in Dallas and Fort Worth that gained recognition to see some major results. As much as it was a blessing, it was also a pain in the butt. All that, plus a few other things grinding people’s gears or bringing them joy in 2024. Dallas Morning News food editor Anna Butler: “It has to be Michelin, right?” Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman of Jose: “Like it or not, Michelin coming to Texas was huge. The results may have infuriated some, but it’s a start and just means we have work to do — as chefs and as diners. I’m especially proud of my fellow Latino chefs who work hard to educate, and continue to honor and share the richness of authentic Mexican cuisine, staying true to its roots while inspiring others with their knowledge and passion.” Greg Katz of Beverly’s, Clifton Club, Green Point, and Claremont: “Most infuriating is Michelin giving only one restaurant in Dallas a star.” Chef Taylor Kearney of Harwood Hospitality: “The Michelin awards in DFW were undoubtedly the most exciting development. Their arrival has sparked a new era for the local dining scene, pushing chefs and restaurateurs to elevate their offerings to meet global standards. This kind of recognition has the power to not only spotlight deserving talent but also raise the bar for innovation, service, and culinary artistry across the board. It’s a thrilling time to be a part of or even just experience the DFW dining landscape.” Dining critic Brian Reinhart of D magazine: “Hah! I like how this is ‘exciting or infuriating’ so we can say the Michelin Guide and it’s true both ways. Michelin will bring long-term benefits to our city by attracting young talent, inspiring food tourism, and motivating chefs to reach a higher standard. But in their first year, the Guide acted like tourists, checking off Texas-y barbecue and steak experiences instead of getting to know our full diversity. Dallas needs to shape up, and so does Michelin.” Chef RJ Yoakum of Georgie: “Michelin guide coming to Texas and too many big restaurants opening. Need better smaller restaurants.” Influencer Chris James Kahle: “The results of the Michelin stars given in the DFW area. So many worthy and only one given out was very disappointing.” Eater Dallas contributor Didi Paterno: “The Michelin nod for Ngon Kitchen was the best news I received. I wrote about Carol and her Tet Vietnamese Lunar New Year traditions, and I love to see their work further elevated. Do order a glass of Vietnamese coffee when you get the chance to sit down for a meal.” Chef Toby Archibald of Quarter Acre: “Hahaha, the easy answer here is MICHELIN coming to Texas. How exciting!!!!! I truly never thought I would see the day, and yet here we are. The excitement was immense throughout the hospitality community and I really miss getting weekly texts from friends and peers that were checking to see if I had heard anything or ‘had an email’. The awards event itself was fantastic, the whole night belonged to all that were in the room, no one was competing against anyone else, we were all there to celebrate each other. It was truly a great moment to be a part of and I would love to see more events where the industry formally celebrates those achieving (against great odds) great things.” Eater Dallas contributor Rachel Pinn: “Michelin’s arrival in Texas was definitely the most infuriating. On one hand, who cares? On the other hand, it seems everyone cares? And on yet another hand, why in the world was there so much barbecue included in a fine dining awards ceremony?? Some of the winners made sense but were in the wrong categories, and Dallas’ lack of stars compared to other Texas cities seemed unfair. I’m all out of hands and Fs. I was very pleased with the inclusion of Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen, which has been my favorite local Vietnamese place since it first opened. It’s a toss-up between the summer rolls there (yes, all of them) and the duck curry, which is life-changing.” Gabe Sanchez of Saint Valentine and Black Swan Saloon: “The reaction to local restaurants being recognized by Michelin. I hope everyone who hasn’t visited them yet gets by soon. I also hope the restaurants/chefs/restauranteurs who weren’t recognized stay the course and keep kicking ass every day.” Chef Travis Wyatt of Mirador: “The most exciting story for me was coming back to Headington to opening Mirador, and having my sous chef Kamryne with me. To top it off David Gomez, then coming on board to work at Tango Room. The most exciting story is that Headington has some of the most talented chefs in Dallas.” Chef Jeff Bekavac of Goodwins: “My most exciting thing was to see a lot of chefs that I know open places that they are passionate about. A lot of cool neighborhood restaurants that are excelling because they are perfect for where they are. I love to see good people that I have known for a long time, open great places that are going really well.” Editor for Eater Texas Courtney E. Smith: “I grow more and more annoyed by influencers who read my work and don’t cite it — and the same for all of my colleagues. If you’re going to ‘discover’ a restaurant because it’s on an Eater heatmap or report a story by reading it verbatim on TiKTok, at least throw a mention to the publication where you heard about it in your video, mmmkay? The most exciting trend is one I’m seeing right now: Well-known restaurant folks seeing the success of Goodwins as a more-affordable neighborhood spot and recreating that in other neighborhoods. We’re going to need places we can afford to eat in 2025.” Chef Michelle Carpenter of Restaurant Beatrice: “Infurating trend: The improper, uninformed use of ethnic ingredients. Any ambitious chef can always just do a quick Google on their phone to find the history and context of any ethnic ingredient they want to incorporate so their creation doesn’t come across as Columbus-ing. While I appreciate fish sauce, miso, lemongrass, kimchi, gochujang, yuzu, and chili oil, why is the addition of ethnic ingredients short-cuts for demonstrating the ‘genius’ of any chef in a dish? It’s one thing to use them correctly, but using another culture’s ingredients is not the cheat code people think it is if you are too lazy to read the history that is embedded in those ingredients. It is possible to do many things at one time: incorporate ingredients, have the bite taste delicious, and be considerate to all cultures. “As an itamae for over three decades, I can confidently express that Japanese gastronomy and Cajun gastronomy are equally fearless. Both these cultures know what is edible and what isn’t. No one’s gatekeeping, least of all someone from two different cultures. Food isn’t made in a vacuum. It’s about to be 2025. It’s not 1995 anymore. And 2015 was ten years ago. The long overdue task in 2025 is to stop ignoring those folks and history whose culture those ingredients came from. “Exciting trend: Non-alcoholic and vegan options on standard menus. As someone who doesn’t drink, we need to normalize sobriety as a way of intentional living and a way to support folks in recovery. Delicious vegan options are one of the culinary world’s final frontiers for chefs who are interested in making something that isn’t a cliche nor overdone.”