You might have figured that you’d have to wait for the Ghostbusters reboot to see the Michelin Man in D.C., but there’s another way: the tire company has already dispatched inspectors to the city to figure out which restaurants deserve accolades.
As first reported by The Washington Post, our dining scene is getting its own Michelin guide, which awards stars to the best of the best.
The news is out and it’s tasty! The Michelin Man is coming to Washington! #michelinguidedc @MayorBowser pic.twitter.com/PGKm8gGnly
— Michelin Media (@MichelinMedia) May 31, 2016
Both Mayor Muriel Bowser and Chef Jose Andres are among those who’ve already welcomed the food guide to the District. Michelin told Andres on Twitter that they’re “already having a fantastic time.”
“D.C. was a logical choice. It’s a very cosmopolitan city. It has a growing and thriving food scene,” Michael Ellis, international director for the Michelin Guides, told The Post.
D.C. will only be the fourth U.S. city with a current guide—following New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago. Los Angeles, one of two cities that is no longer updated, has reacted surprisingly well to being snubbed.
According to a press release, October 13 is the expected publication date for the D.C. guide, which will only cover locales inside the city limits.
Add this recognition of the District’s growing foodie reputation to the list, following the James Beard Award for Aaron Silverman of Rose’s Luxury this year.
But Michelin stars are not without their critics. Chef and author Eddie Huang told TIME that the award makes restaurants less likely to take risks. “They like to say they are a response to the stale American food culture. But they create another stale global food culture at the other end of the economic spectrum. They are creating a formula at the top of the food chain.”
Rachel Kurzius