With Michelin Stars Finally Coming to Texas, PaperCity Staffers Give Their Local Restaurant Recommendations Across Texas

It was just announced that Michelin stars are coming to Texas, with a focus on Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. It’s about time in our opinion. PaperCity‘s Courtney Dabney published a thorough article about the recent news, as well as what the Michelin Guide is and how restaurants are considered for the iconic one, two, or three stars. They’re even going to start giving out awards for hotels in Texas and around the world.

We are so excited for our local restaurants to start earning the recognition they deserve and since PaperCity currently has writers based in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and The Woodlands, we wanted to share some local gems we would love to see considered for a Texas Michelin guide.

*We know Michelin Inspectors are already in the field, so this list is just meant to be a fun, Texas-wide look at what we love about our state’s restaurants.

PaperCity‘s Picks for Michelin-Worthy Dallas Restaurants

Dallas Senior Digital Editor Megan Ziots

Georgie is my top pick. Executive chef RJ Yoakum (formerly at three-Michelin-star French Laundry) is cooking up some of the most creative and delicious new dishes for the Knox Street steakhouse since he took over a year ago. The grilled Spanish octopus with a potato tortilla and marinated pineapple is incredible.

Of course, Bishop Arts Italian staple Lucia has to be a contender. It’s been nominated for several James Beard Awards. Chef David Uyger makes everything in-house. The Chef’s Choice Salumi is a stand-out with its cured meats and focaccia. Other dishes rotate seasonally always giving guests something new to look forward to.

Petra and the Beast recently moved into a swanky new space in Lakewood, and chef Misti Norris was a James Beard finalist for Best Chef: Texas this year. Ingredients for dishes are locally sourced with a focus on farm, forage, and fermentation. The restaurant just offers a unique dining experience unlike anything else — especially the six-course tasting menu available on Fridays and Saturdays.

My favorite Mexican-inspired restaurant in Dallas, El Carlos Elegante was opened by Duro Hospitality (Mister Charles, Sister) in the Design District in 2022. Besides the killer ambiance (which isn’t actually considered when giving out Michelin stars), the food always hits. Favorite dishes include the El Machete made with hand-made masa, pork al pastor, and Mexican Chocolate pot de creme.

Dallas Digital Editorial Director Caitlin Clark

The cozy, Napa Valley-inspired Gemma has stood strong on the everchanging Henderson Avenue for a little over a decade — a feat in Dallas dining. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t evolved. Just last year, husband-and-wife restaurateur team Stephen Rogers and Allison Yoder unveiled new interiors and menu items (including the fabulous duck frites), all while maintaining the same excellent hospitality that makes an evening at Gemma feel special. I wish every Dallas neighborhood had a bistro as thoughtful and dependable as Gemma — perhaps a little Michelin-sanctioned attention will inspire more. (Though we were happy to at least see some James Beard recognition, despite the snub.)

Beyond the flash of Uchi and the recent influx of omakase-style kitchens across the city, longtime lovers of Japanese dining in Dallas know it all started with James Beard nominee Teiichi Sakurai. The chef’s first local restaurant, Teppo, was a sensation when it opened in Lower Greenville in 1995. It has since closed its doors, but Sakurai’s culinary presence lives on with Tei-An (opened in One Arts Plaza in 2008), where you can find authentic Japanese soba noodles, daily seafood specials, and one of the most exclusive private clubs in the city.

Bib Gourmand: Resident Taqueria 

There’s often a line at this casual Lake Highlands spot, but I’m always willing to wait for chef Andrew Marc Savoie’s inventive and constantly evolving take on tacos, which can include everything from escargot and sweetbreads to Moroccan lamb shanks and foie gras-covered mushrooms.

Resident Taqueria is exactly the kind of laid-back spot you’d bring out-of-towners to show off Dallas’ culinary inventiveness — chefs love it too! If that’s not Bib Gourmand material, I don’t know what is.

The Fort Worth, Texas Spots We’d Love to See Become Michelin-Starred Restaurants

Fort Worth Digital Editor Courtney Dabney

Jon Bonnell’s namesake Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine put him on the radar as one of the most notable wild game chefs in the country when it debuted in 2001. The menu introduces Fort Worth natives and out-of-town visitors to his famous crispy quail legs, elk tacos, and buffalo tenderloin. His Water’s Coastal Cuisine is another notable spot.

Likewise, chef Tim Love’s has many restaurants ranging from new-style barbecue to Tex-Mex and Italian at his upscale Caterina’s Ristorante, but his original Lonesome Dove remains an essential stop on any Fort Worth dining tour. His wild game Fettine includes duck, rabbit rattlesnake sausage, pistachios, and black mission figs.

Chef Marcus Paslay launched his Clay Pigeon in 2013 and has followed up with Piatello Italian and Provender Hall under his From Scratch Hospitality’s growing umbrella. But, his newest Walloon’s brings a coastal vibe plus a raw bar and Chicago-style interior to Fort Worth’s Southside, with true lobster rolls, and mussels. 

Graham Elliot packed his knives and the two Michelin stars he earned in Chicago to Fort Worth when he joined Felipe Armenta’s Far Out Hospitality in 2022. The first opening and menu they collaborated on was Le Margot, where you’ll find Elliot in the kitchen most nights. Le Margot is full-on French with perfectly seared salmon, and classics like coq au vin, bouillabaisse, and beef bourguignon.

Don Artemio blew our minds with true Mex-Mex when it brought a taste of cabrito to the Museum District. Where else can local diners get crispy fried nopales or crickets to nibble during cocktail hour? The interiors alone are a work of art ― importing clay tile and pottery directly from Saltillo, Mexico. The concept, which was originally created by Juan Ramón Cárdenas in Saltillo, is overseen in Fort Worth by his son, chef Rodrigo Cárdenas.

With so many new and fabulous openings in recent years, we also think the Crescent Hotel’s new and authentic Italian at Emilia’s and The Blue Room deserve a hard look. Chef Preston Paine is turning out some creative dishes and The Blue Room affords Fort Worth diners another true fine dining emersion.

Cafe Modern’s chef Jett Mora brought his Wolfgang Puck training and experience to bear at Fort Worth’s otherworldly Modern Art Museum. I mean the venue alone cannot be overlooked. But, chef Mora’s seasonal menus continue to impress, with their creativity and elegance. 

With Grace and Little Red Wasp, restaurateur Adam Jones and his chef Blaine Staniford had already secured their status in the Fort Worth restaurant scene, but with the opening of 61 Osteria they’ve truly leveled up. The menu is only matched by its service and swanky atmosphere. The adjoining bar overlooking Burnett Park as well as its patio, make for an unforgettable fine dining experience.

Houston Michelin Restaurant Selections

Digital Style Editor Shelby Hodge

Hands down, Le Jardinier at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston deserves Michelin recognition for the exquisite French fare that may be unmatched across the entire state of Texas. Not only is the food often without peer, but each plate delivers a visual feast as well. Bastion Collection culinary director chef Alain Verzeroli, who brings serious creds working in Michelin-starred restaurants, pops into Houston several times a year to work with chef de cuisine Felipe Botero on creating new dishes and ensuring that the highest of standards are maintained. The MFAH restaurant is the Lone Star offshoot of the original in Le Jardinier in Manhattan.

Since opening the doors to B&B Butchers & Restaurant in 2015, Ben Berg has been rocking the Houston restaurant scene with new restaurants regularly. All part of his Berg Restaurant Group stable. But Berg’s original steakhouse still sets the bar with executive chef Eduardo Monteflores helming a kitchen that never fails to deliver exceptional meats. The seafood options are topnotch as well. Note: When Beyoncé is in town, she taps B&B Butchers for her personal catering.

DaMarco’s loss was Amore Italian Restaurant’s gain when chef Alfredo Mojica decamped from the popular Montrose restaurant to open his own in a renovated former sandwich shop space only a mile or so away. On a recent visit, the eggplant parmesan brought tears to my eyes. Who knew that such a typically rugged dish could be so delicate? The Fileto Rossini served with foie gras, black truffles, madeira sauce and potatoes assure that in addition to pastas and pizzas, Amore has it all.

Could there be a more high-end location than River Oaks District and where better to put an authentic Italian restaurant with extra doses of energia? Hello, Bari Ristorante. The on-site, homemade pasta dishes throw me back to Milan and Florence from the spaghetti alle vongole to the to-die-for pappardelle bolognese made with three-meat ragu. The menu includes classic Italian dishes, ranging from North to South, and comes from the hands of talented chef Renato De Pirro, a certified master Italian chef who hails from Tuscany.

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse certainly deserves some serious Michelin consideration. Year after year this classic Texas steakhouse receives honors and awards for its outstanding menu, world-class meat dishes and enough remarkable seafood entries to please any pescatarian. The restaurant’s wine list annually wins kudos from the nation’s most discerning oenophiles. Might Michelin bless the original location on Westheimer in The Galleria area or the downtown location, or both?

When it comes to fine dining in every sense, the venerable Houston institution Tony’s takes the prize and likewise deserves some Michelin praise. With talented chef Kate McLean, who tutored under the eye of master restaurateur Tony Vallone, heading to the kitchen any night out here is a treat. Consider the regular creations surrounding caviar or foie gras that come from McLean’s kitchen as well as the tried and true dishes that have kept Tony’s in the hearts of experienced Houston diners for decades.

Network Editorial Director Chris Baldwin

Japanese native Manabu Horiuchi’s follow-up to Houston’s beloved Kata Robata, Katami, is more adventurous with creative dishes and a relaxed service to swoon over. It puts the best of Houston dining on display.

The Woodlands Digital Editor Laura Landsbaum

Described as “eclectic Indian,” Amrina opened on the Waterway in The Woodlands in June 2022. It’s helmed by chef Jassi Bindra, along with brothers Preet Paul and Surpreet Singh. Jassi was the executive chef at Punjab Grill in Washington D.C., and his menu and creative execution earned the restaurant a Michelin plate and a mention in the Michelin guide for 2019. Bindra appeared on Chopped and won the “Oh My Squash” episode, which aired last summer.

Opened by chef Austin Simmons in 2019, Tris is named after his daughter and is consistently a standout in The Woodlands. Simmons started cooking at age eight and earned a culinary degree from the acclaimed Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin. An internship at The Mansion at Turtle Creek in Dallas became a years-long stay before he moved on to The Woodlands.