twinkle twinkle little star

Michelin Guide will name second Texas class at invite-only Houston ceremony

Houston restaurant March will be looking to maintain or improve upon its one-star status.

Photo by Julie Soefer

The next class of Texas restaurants included in the Michelin Guide will be announced at an invite-only ceremony in Houston on October 28.

Held at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, the event will reveal Michelin’s second class of Texas restaurants. In 2024, the Guide made its Texas debut with over 100 entries, including 15 restaurants that earned a highly coveted Michelin star. Since Michelin designations must be maintained annually, the ceremony will show both new entries to the guide and whether any restaurants have been either demoted or removed entirely.

Michelin employs anonymous inspectors to evaluate restaurants on five criteria: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. Based on that, they may recognize restaurants with one of four designations:

Michelin stars, rated at one, two, or three for restaurants that offer exceptional experiences
Bib Gourmand, described as “restaurants that offer great quality food at good prices”
Green stars for “restaurants that are leaders in sustainable gastronomy
Recommended for good restaurants that don’t quite meet the level of either a star or Bib Gourmand

The guide also gives out professional awards, such as Steven McDonald of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, who received the sommelier award in 2024.

Overall, Texas restaurants will be looking to build on the momentum created with last year’s guide. Since one star was the highest rating any restaurant received in 2024, perhaps Michelin will elevate at least one restaurant to two star status.

Similarly, four Texas barbecue joints received a star in 2024. The ceremony will reveal both whether all four have kept those designations and whether any of those that received Recommended or Bib Gourmand have been elevated to star status.

In Houston, 30 restaurants made the guide — six, one-star restaurants; 17 Bib Gourmand; and seven Recommended. Expect speculation about which restaurants are joining the club to reach a fever pitch between now and October 28.

“Last year marked a milestone for the Texas restaurant industry, and we’re excited to continue celebrating the state’s exceptional culinary talent at this year’s ceremony,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, in a statement. “Texas’ culinary scene boasts a rich heritage, defined by its diverse flavors, unique cuisines, and remarkable talent — qualities that make it distinctly Texan. It offers something for every kind of traveler, and we look forward to unveiling our Inspectors’ findings in the coming months.”

truffle shuffle

Fine dining chef serves up casual sandwich shop in Houston suburb

Photo by Hungry AF Media

Richmond may not be top of mind among the Houston suburbs with destination-worthy restaurants — other than Larry’s Original Mexican, of course — but a new cafe could have sandwich lovers from across greater Houston contemplating a visit to Fort Bend County.

Meet Truffle & Rye Market & Café. The new restaurant, which celebrated its grand opening earlier this month, serves breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday. In the morning, look for freshly baked pastries such as muffins and banana bread alongside breakfast sandwiches that are made with organic sourdough bagels.

Lunch is built around sandwiches made with freshly baked schiacciata bread, an Italian-style flatbread that’s similar to focaccia, that Truffle & Rye sources from Houston's Artisan Bread Gallery. They include The Pig (mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio, pesto, and pistachio crumble), The Boar (spicy salami, whipped ricotta cheese, Italian pepper spread, and arugula), and The Bird (roasted turkey, basil pesto, provolone, roasted tomato, and arugula). Three salads are also available.

Beverage options include a full coffee program, including lattes made with Mill-King milk and house made syrups, as well as teas, lemonade, and bottles of wine.

Truffle and Rye restaurant Kaitlyn Chavez and Joey Chavez Truffle and Rye owners Kaitlyn and Joey Chavez.Courtesy of Truffle & Rye Market & Café

Photo by Hungry AF Media

The Bird is made with turkey, pesto, provolone, and roasted tomatoes.

Chef Joey Chavez and his wife Kaitlyn are the husband-and-wife duo behind Truffle & Rye. Prior to launching his private chef company The Hidden Truffle, chef Chavez worked at a number of notable restaurants, including The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s legendary, three-star Michelin fine dining restaurant in California; the Caribou Club in Aspen; and Brennan’s of Houston, where he had a brief stint as executive chef. Kaitlyn Chavez also brings top-level hospitality experience, having worked for The Ritz Carlton luxury hotel chain.

“We built The Hidden Truffle around private dining and elevated experiences,” Kaitlyn shares. “But we kept coming back to the idea of wanting something for our community, somewhere people could come in regularly, feel taken care of, and enjoy food that still holds that same level of quality.”

While the restaurant won’t serve dinner daily, it will be open on select nights for wine tastings, sourdough classes, pop-up dinners, and other happenings.

Although he has a fine dining background, chef Chavez said he’s excited to bring this more casual concept to Richmond. “We wanted to build something we would want to go to ourselves,” he said. “A place where the food is intentional, the ingredients matter, and people feel comfortable coming in multiple times a week.”

Truffle & Rye is located in Richmond at 107 S. Third Street. It opens at 7 am Monday-Thursday and 8 am on Friday and Saturday.

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