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San Antonio nearly swept all the new Michelin 1-star designations awarded in Texas on Tuesday night.
Isidore and Nicosi, both in Pullman Market, now join the 2024 recipient Mixtili in Southtown as the city’s only Michelin 1-star restaurants. A total of three 1-stars were awarded in Texas with the final one going to Mamani in Dallas.
A third Pullman based restaurant — Mezquite —earned "Bib Gormaund" status, and multiple San Antonio restaurants were able to keep their bib status as well.
The first awards in Texas were held last year. Tuesday’s ceremony was held in Houston once again. Michelin ratings are among the most revered restaurant evaluations in the world. The rating system was created in 1929 by the Michelin tire company in France, as a way for people to visit restaurants in far locations and put miles on their tires.
Stars are awarded and reassessed annually by anonymous judges who eat at the restaurants multiple times over several months. Those judges, according to Michelin, look for the “quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time.”
San Antonio’s new 1-star recipients
Isidore - Danny Parada & Ian Klamphear
Michelin says: “Isidore is a stylish spot with a midcentury modern feel complete with an open kitchen and live-fire hearth. Named for the patron saint of farmers and laborers, there is a clear focus on Texas ingredients and local traditions, even incorporating Native American elements into the bread service.”
In addition to the 1-star, Isidore also won a Green Star Award.
“We’ve been working with local farms that we use for almost ten years now, finding other ways to utilize wild forest foods, or be able to push them to grow more unique items and stuff like this is really just the only way we know how to cook,” Isidore chef Danny Parada said.
Nicosi - Tavel Bristol-Joseph
Michelin says: "Saving room for dessert isn't necessary at Nicosi because this daring tasting menu celebrates the final course exclusively from start to finish. Nestled inside a dark, moody space hung with velvet curtains off Pullman Market, this theatrical experience is a true surprise, as there is a strict no photo or phones policy for all guests at the L-shaped counter. The multicourse meal tends to follow four themes—acidic, umami, bitter and sweet—and the team rarely repeats dishes from one season to the next."
“I think we live in a world where people carry the trauma from their past and the anxiety of the future and Nicosi is a space where we can celebrate the present so there’s no phones, no cameras, you don’t have to make any transaction, it’s a very emotional connection,” said Chef Tavel Bristol-Josep
New Bib Gourmaund
Michelin says: In a city brimming with Mexican restaurants, Mezquite zigs while others zag. Don't expect the typical Tex-Mex here. Instead, this restaurant in Pullman Market with a sun-bleached, desert-inspired decor spotlights hyper-regional Sonoran cooking.
Restaurants keeping their Bib Gourmand status from 2024
A Bib Gourmand restaurant is one selected by Michelin evaluators and is often lower in price, but considered well worth the money and time for a visit.
