If you find yourself searching for “Michelin restaurants in Boston,” and coming up with nothing, you’re not alone. Boston, and Massachusetts as a whole does not have any Michelin restaurants.
Why doesn’t Boston have Michelin restaurants?
A Michelin Guide never existed for the city of Boston. In order for a city to have a Michelin Guide, its tourism board must pay Michelin a fee for Michelin inspectors to star restaurants and create a guide for that city. Boston’s local tourism board, MeetBoston, declined to pay to promote what will end up being a sliver of Boston’s incredibly talented restaurant population. The executive team at MeetBoston is aware of how much talent there is in the city’s food industry, but notes they’d rather invest that money elsewhere.
New England as a whole does not have any Michelin Guides, as the tourism boards have not expressed interest in paying the fee for a local guide. The closest Michelin Guide to Boston is New York City.
How to earn a Michelin Star
Fees for Michelin Guide development for a city range from $500,000 to several million, depending on how many restaurants the anonymous Michelin inspectors need to visit. Once a city expresses interest in a Michelin Guide, anonymous inspectors conduct an assessment of that area’s restaurants. They then determine if there are enough Michelin Star quality restaurants in the proposed city and award stars that then lead to a full curated guide.
According to Michelin, there are 5 key criteria analyzed to deem a restaurant fit for a Michelin Star:
- Quality of ingredients
- Harmony of flavors
- Mastery of culinary techniques
- Personality of the chef expressed through their cuisine
- Consistency across the entire menu and over time
Restaurants receive Michelin Stars on a 1-3 star scale.
Michelin chefs in Boston
While Michelin Stars are awarded to restaurants and not chefs, unlike James Beard Awards, the key components analyzed are a reflection of a chef’s work. Meaning when a restaurant earns a star, so does a chef. While Boston doesn’t have any Michelin Star restaurants, here are a few chefs now in Boston who’ve been on a culinary team that did earn a Michelin Star:
- Bar Enza: Chef Mark Ladner (now led by chef Tony Susi)
- Amar: Chef George Mendes
- The Lineup and The Vermilion Club: Chef John Fraser
Michelin did launch its new Michelin Key distinction for noteworthy hotels in New England. Check them out here.