For a restaurant, nothing beats a Michelin star award. It instantly bestows legitimacy and puts the local food scene on the map.
When the announcement came June 14 that the Michelin Guide will begin awarding stars in Colorado this year, my first reaction was a fist-pumping, “It’s about damn time.”
Frankly, the dining in our state has been first class for years.
I’ve written about the ups and downs of Colorado food since the 1980s, including a seven-year stint as the anonymous dining critic for the Rocky Mountain News. I saw how reviews impacted the success of restaurants, positively and negatively.
With that in mind, my second reaction to the Michelin announcement was, “Uh oh.”
Be careful when you wish upon a Michelin star. The honor comes with so much expense and baggage that a few chefs have simply declined the distinction.
Michelin said its cadre of covert critics are already visiting restaurants in Boulder, Aspen-Snowmass, Denver and Vail-Beaver Creek.
Which Boulder restaurants measure up?
Only a handful of eateries can meet Michelin’s stringent food and service demands. The likely Boulder suspects include Frasca Food and Wine, Flagstaff House, Basta, Blackbelly, Corrida and Oak at Fourteenth.
“Colorado has a rich culinary community that includes both established, notable chefs and innovative up-and-comers,” the guide organization said in the June 14 announcement.
The other current Michelin North American cities and regions are New York, Miami/Orlando/Tampa, Chicago, California, Washington, D.C., Toronto, and Vancouver.
When a restaurant wins one, two or three of those red Michelin stars, it means the eatery offers masterful and consistent execution of food, service and ambience. It also most likely means it’s an expensive dining experience that could require reservations a month or more ahead.
Michelin’s affordable $50 meal
Bargain-savvy epicureans need not stress: Michelin also awards Bib Gourmand distinctions to establishments that offer “great quality food at good prices,” meaning a three-course meal for one under $50. Whether or not you consider that “affordable,” this award may spotlight Boulder’s array of remarkable homegrown and international cuisine.
Other establishments can earn a Michelin green star given to “leaders in sustainable gastronomy.” Erik Skokan’s Black Cat Farm-supplied Bramble & Hare comes to mind, as does Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant serving produce from its Three Leaf Farm in Lafayette.
The downside to stardom
When the Michelin Guide Colorado is published later this year, most restaurants won’t be included or even mentioned.
Don’t be surprised if only one Boulder restaurant gets a single star. In the Michelin world, that translates to a mild “worth a stop” recommendation.
The chefs I’ve talked to since the announcement say the costs and pressure on staff might be overwhelming. They also worry out-of-town gastronomic tourists will make it hard for locals to get a table. History suggests getting a Michelin star doesn’t guarantee an eatery will survive and make money.
This level of scrutiny can be withering. When I was reviewing restaurants, few places got a perfect “A” from me for food, service and ambience. On any given evening, too many things can go wrong in a busy bistro. I did get to enjoy a few genuinely magnificent meals I’ve never forgotten.
Are these star-struck restaurants really the “best” places to eat in Boulder? It depends on your taste, but most of us will never know because we can’t rationalize the $100-plus cost per person for admission. Fine-dining devotees like to counter that it costs less than fans are willing to pay to hear a few hours of Taylor Swift or Dead & Company.
No matter how many local eateries get stars, the Michelin announcement signals that Boulder’s dining industry has made a profound turnaround since the devastating closings and layoffs of the pandemic, and that’s a milestone worth celebrating.
Local Food News: ’Shrooms and Wings
Myco Cafe, Colorado’s first mushroom-themed coffee shop, is open at 1629 28th St., Boulder, serving beverages infused with lion’s mane, cordyceps, turkey tail and/or reishi mushrooms.
Saucy Cluckers opened at 1911 Broadway, just off the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, dishing plant-based “wings” tossed with sauces ranging from barbeque to teriyaki.
Superior’s first brew pub, Bambei Brewing Company, has opened at 100 Superior Plaza Way.
Bowl Izakaya is open and serving traditional ramen and yakitori at 1232 S. Hover St., Longmont.
Culinary Calendar: Pie and Gators
Jamestown’s Fourth of July community event includes a pancake breakfast, parade, food trucks, a pie contest for adults and a kids’ baking contest. Sign up: facebook.com/jamestown4th
Alligators & Ale, July 9 at Proud Souls Barbecue (5599 S. Rio Grande St.) in Littleton, features whole smoked alligator for tacos and pizza.
Enjoy local honey wine at the Orpheus MeadFest, July 22, Jefferson Unitarian Church (14350 W. 32nd Ave.) in Golden.
Plan ahead: Spaghetti & Westerns Fest returns to Trinidad, Colorado, and Raton, New Mexico, Oct. 13 and 14 with a celebration of pasta (including a sauce competition), Western films and scenic train rides.
Words to Chew On: Soul Searching
Celebrate National Soul Food Month in June with barbecue pork ribs, barbecue or fried chicken, cornbread, black-eyed peas, collard greens and other comforting fare at the newly reopened Rae’s & Kay’s Authentic Puerto Rican & Soul Food kitchen. Pickup available at 2825 Wilderness Place in Boulder. Details: raesandkaystogo.com
“My contention is soul food is really the interior cooking of the Deep South that migrates across the country. I think of soul food as an immigrant cuisine and ultimately a national cuisine, because black folks just landed in all parts of the country.” — Adrian Miller, Denver-based author of the James Beard Award-winning Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time.
