The Michelin Guide Expands its Reach in Florida
As of this year, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beaches, and St. Pete-Clearwater restaurants are eligible for inclusion
The Michelin Guide has just announced that it will expand its reach to three more cities in Florida.
The Florida Guide was established in Florida in 2022 but only covered three cities: Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. That proved to be a bone of contention to restaurateurs in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, which are extremely close in distance. For many, it seemed like a slap in the face by Michelin. After all, conceivably, a restaurant only one block north of the Miami-Dade county borderline could have been shut out of the competition simply by being in a different county.
With the announcement, that geographical snafu has been fixed. According to a press release by Michelin, these new cities will be eligible for entry in the 2025 Michelin Guide, which is traditionally announced in late Spring.
The Florida Guide will encompass the entire state in 2026, according to Michelin, bringing the Guide to cities such as Jacksonville, St. Augustine, the Florida Panhandle, and the Florida Keys. The Keys is especially ripe for several Michelin nods including the much-loved Louie’s Backyard in Key West and Jeremy Ford’s newly opened restaurant Salt + Ash at the Hawk’s Cay Resort in Duck Key.
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guides, said of the announcement, “Florida continues to raise the bar with its emerging culinary talent, international influences, and the palpable passion of its local restaurant communities.”
With this news comes speculation as to which restaurants might be included.
In Fort Lauderdale, chef Ryan Ratino’s MAAS, located at the Four Seasons, is a strong contender for a Star, as is Evelyn’s the Mediterranian restaurant located at the same property. The Katherine, an intimate restaurant by Timon Balloo that offers an eclectic menu that tells the story of his life with wife and partner Marissa Katherine Balloo, is just the kind of restaurant that is deserving of a Star — independently owned and operated and chef driven with a clear story and care to detail. At the Ritz-Carlton, chef Paula DaSilva continues to serve excellent food at Burlock Coast, making it worthy of recognition.
In Palm Beach, Cafe Boulud and Clay Conley’s Buccan are top contenders for a Michelin Star.
There area also a host of smaller restaurants that deserve accolades including Rino Cerbone’s excellent Italian restaurant, Heritage, and Larb Thai-Isan, an unassuming restaurant tucked inside a strip mall.
I suspect Michelin will make an announcement in the coming weeks — or even days — to tease the first few additions from these cities. Stay tuned.