For first time in South Florida history, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach restaurants earn Michelin stars
The Florida Michelin Guide announced Thursday night that a pair of chef-tasting experiences, the Chef's Counter at MAASS in Fort Lauderdale and Konro in West Palm Beach, have earned one Michelin star apiece. Both restaurants picked up their accolades during a ceremony at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The news comes after the Michelin Guide in February said it would expand its esteemed guide to three new regions — Greater Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches and St. Pete/Clearwater — making South Florida eateries from Hallandale Beach to Jupiter eligible to be saluted.
And boy, did South Florida eateries turn up for the occasion: All told, five Fort Lauderdale restaurants picked up Michelin accolades, while Palm Beach County spots earned nine awards.
The international director of the Michelin Guides, Gwendal Poullennec, for one, is bullish about the Sunshine State's restaurant supremacy.
'Florida has proven to be an international culinary destination with the expansion to three new cities,' he said in a statement. 'Our anonymous inspectors continued to be delighted by Florida's culinary community, and we congratulate all of the chefs and restaurants being honored in this year's selection.'
The French tire company's guide first rolled into Miami, Orlando and Tampa in 2022 after the state's tourism arm, Visit Florida, paid $1.5 million to rate eateries in those regions for a printed guide. Michelin's expansion in South Florida came after Broward and Palm Beach's tourism groups, Visit Lauderdale and Discover the Palm Beaches, chipped in an extra $90,000 each to be part of the guide.
The intimate, 14-seat Chef's Counter at MAASS at the Four Seasons Hotel And Residences Fort Lauderdale is chef Ryan Ratino's ode to American cuisine accented with French techniques. Guide 'inspectors' — Michelin's moniker for the diners who visit and critique each eatery anonymously — praised the tasting menu handled by chef David Brito, especially its 'single-seared diver scallop over a truffle puree.'
'Designed as an upmarket riff on chicken noodle soup, it's finished with a velvety broth,' the guide wrote. 'A delicate bowl of koshihikari rice cooked in a donabe with maitake mushroom and a Comté foam is excellent from start to finish. Finally, kakigori with candied nuts and fresh raspberries is a delightful conclusion.'
At Konro, led by chef Jacob Bickelhaupt and sommelier Nadia Bickelhaupt, their 10-seat chef's counter presents a ballet of Japanese A5 Wagyu, dry-ice smoke, delicate bouquets of microgreens and other surprising morsels paired with wines. They serve drumstick-sized cones of crackling chicken skin, stuffed with foie gras and cloudberry jam, which the guide dubbed a 'highlight.'
'The chef's creativity is displayed in dishes like barley risotto with enoki mushrooms, caramelized crispy fried onions, and black truffle shavings, served in a golden egg,' the guide continued.
In another first for Fort Lauderdale's Heritage, an Italian-American restaurant in Flagler Village fronted by (literal) rockstar chef Rino Cerbone, picked up the region's first Bib Gourmand, Michelin lingo for eateries that feature 'great food at a great value.'
Not to be outdone, West Palm Beach restaurants Aioli, chef Michael Hackman's celebrated bakery-cafe, and Palm Beach Meats, owner Eric and Meghan San Pedro's fast-casual butcher-retailer-restaurant, also picked up Bib Gourmands.
Statewide, 31 Florida restaurants currently have Michelin stars, with Miami leading the state with 15, followed by nine in Orlando, five in Tampa and two Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. No restaurants lost a star this year.
Below, find the full lineup of South Florida Michelin winners broken down by county.
Michelin stars: Chef's Counter at MAASS, Fort Lauderdale, 1 star
Bib Gourmand: Heritage Fort Lauderdale
Recommended:
Daniel's, A Florida Steakhouse, Fort Lauderdale
Larb Thai-Isan, Fort Lauderdale
Evelyn's, Fort Lauderdale
Michelin stars: Konro, 1 star
Bib Gourmands:
Aioli, West Palm Beach
Palm Beach Meats, West Palm Beach
Recommended:
Buccan, Palm Beach
Moody Tongue Sushi, West Palm Beach
Nicholson Muir Distinguished Meats, Boynton Beach
Stage Kitchen & Bar, Palm Beach Gardens
The Butcher's Club, Palm Beach Gardens
Coolinary and The Parched Pig, Palm Beach Gardens
For the full list of Michelin winners statewide, go to MichelinMedia.com.
Phillip Valys can be reached at pvalys@sunsentinel.com or X @philvalys.
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