Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin will all be spending a total of $2.7 million over the next three years with their state tourism offices.
HOUSTON — One of the biggest culinary boasts is coming to the Lone Star State.
The famous Michelin Guide will soon have a Texas edition, but it took some convincing and money to make it happen.
Chef Hugo Ortega’s American Dream was built in his kitchen and now includes five of Houston’s top restaurants, including URBE.
“I left my home country in 1984 and never looked back,” Ortega said.
The James Beard “Best Chef” winner also welcomes the arrival of the acclaimed Michelin Guide, which for the first time rates Texas restaurants on a one-, two-, and three-star system based on anonymous reviews. He is one of the people I admire.
It was started by a French tire company over a century ago to promote road travel and the need for tires that came with it.
“This is an important award, an international award,” Ortega said.
Ortega believes the award could expose Houston’s culinary scene to a wider audience.
“We are the most diverse city in the country with so many strong cuisines,” Ortega said.
The main factor in winning the Michelin Guide here is money, with Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin all spending a combined $2.7 million over the next three years with their state tourism bureaus.
“The launch of the Michelin Guide in Texas and here in Houston has been a long time coming,” said Michael Heckman of Houston First Corporation.
Mr. Heckman is president and CEO of Houston First Corporation, a destination marketing organization in Houston.
“And especially since Houston is an international city, and the Michelin Guide is in Chicago, it’s in New York, it’s in Los Angeles. The fact that it’s not here makes a huge difference to why we don’t have it. It’s like that’s missing.’ So we felt very strongly about bringing that here to Houston,” Heckman said.
Despite some scrutiny on guides in places like Mexico City, where the taco stand received a star, Heckman said he sees huge returns on his investment in Houston, especially through food-savvy tourists. I hope that you will get it.
“Every time a visitor comes here, they leave money in this community,” Heckman said.
At this point, no one knows which restaurant in Texas will be the first to receive a Michelin star.
For Ortega, this is an honor and something he welcomes, but it was his passion to create something for every customer.
“In today’s life, in my opinion, everyone who comes here is a food critic,” Ortega said.
