By Devra First, Globe Staff
This year, for the first time, Boston restaurants will be included in one of the prestigious Michelin Guides, focused on dining excellence around the world. On Tuesday, Michelin will announce the restaurants in its Northeast Cities edition, which also includes Philadelphia, another newcomer, along with Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C.
It has been a fun game to speculate which restaurants will make the cut. Will O Ya, the highly regarded omakase restaurant near South Station, get a rare and coveted star? Will Ostra, the Theatre District showcase for seafood? Or will Boston shine best in Michelin as it does in real life — a city often more heart than haute? There are many excellent candidates for the guide’s Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes a less codified kind of excellence; Bib Gourmands have been described as places Michelin judges might go on their own time. (If I have to place one bet, it is that Neptune Oyster will appear here.)
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But the guide’s inspectors can’t get to every restaurant in a region. I hope they look at less immediately obvious candidates: the excellent, to-the-beat-of-their-own-drums Asta and Brassica Kitchen + Cafe; the slightly out-of-the-way Chickadee; the fairly new high achiever Kaia; and some that fly under the radar altogether. Here are a few of the deserving restaurants that could get overlooked for Michelin recognition, be it a star or another nod.
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By Matt Juul, Globe Staff
Fans can follow the action on Tuesday night as the Michelin Guide ceremony unveiling the Northeast Cities edition is streaming live from Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the invite-only event is available to watch on 6abc.com, with the festivities set to begin at 7 p.m.
By Devra First, Globe Staff
The Boston area is getting a Michelin guide. Anonymous inspectors have been eating their way through local restaurants, making determinations about which ones will be included in the Boston debut of the internationally prestigious guide.
In the immortal words of the great poet Cher: “If I could turn back time …”
To a year when, say, Barbara Lynch’s Menton and No. 9 Park were at the top of their game, L’Espalier served beautiful tasting menus in a beautiful brownstone, and restaurants such as Bondir, Clio, Craigie on Main, Hamersley’s Bistro, and Tasting Counter were all in operation. To name just a few. Might Michelin attention have changed the outcome for some restaurants that have closed? (And might some chefs currently out of the game think about getting back in?)
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Regardless, our time is now, and there are plenty of exciting restaurants to consider. Which ones will Michelin include in its 2025 Boston guide?
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By Kara Baskin, Globe Correspondent
Boston and in Philadelphia will be included in the new Michelin Guide Northeast Cities edition, with Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
Tracy Chang from Cambridge’s Pagu reflected on the news in a nuanced note to the Globe.
“The Michelin Guide coming to Boston raises more questions than it answers — for now, I sit somewhere between cautious optimism and contemplative curiosity. There are obvious potential upsides: it could boost tourism, spotlight hardworking restaurants, and serve as a valuable guide for visitors. Boston is rich in diverse culinary talent and deeply rooted immigrant stories — my grandmother included — who’ve built legacy restaurants and inspired future generations.