How a Hurricane Katrina refugee chef changed Cincinnati forever
Since evacuating to Cincinnati in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Jeffery Harris has made an indelible mark on his adopted hometown.
Cincinnati restaurants will now be eligible to receive Michelin stars and be included in the coveted Michelin Guide. A Michelin star is considered the ultimate honor for restaurants around the world.
The news comes a few months after the Michelin Guide announced the creation of Michelin: American Great Lakes edition that included the cities of Detroit, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, but not Cincinnati.
At the time, Julie Kirkpatrick, the interim president & CEO of Visit Cincy, told me the city’s absence from the guide was due to an oversight that occurred in October of 2025. “The past is prologue,” Kirkpatrick said. “I think the future is incredibly bright and I think this city deserves Michelin status. It has for a long time.”
According to Visit Cincy, anonymous Michelin Guide inspectors are “already in the field, quietly securing reservations to unearth local culinary treasures.”
Restaurant selections for the inaugural Great Lakes region guide will be unveiled at an official Michelin Guide American Great Lakes Ceremony in 2027, with the date and venue to be announced soon.
“Securing a spot in the newest expansion of the Michelin Guide is a huge opportunity for our region,” said Kirkpatrick. “National and international food critics have already begun tuning in to the unique culinary energy across our community, but this recognition officially solidifies the incredible momentum that has been building here for years.
She added that inclusion in the Michelin Guide can generate “sustainable economic momentum that lifts up our neighborhoods and creates opportunities for all of us.”
Many local chefs were surprised when Cincinnati was not initially included in the Great Lakes edition, given the city’s restaurants are regularly finalists for James Beard Awards and have received substantial recognition from publications, including The New York Times, Bon Appetite magazine and Food & Wine.
“Cleveland’s great, but I think it was a massive oversight to ignore the breadth of culinary talent in our city, which has been getting some long overdue attention, especially in recent years,” David Jackman, the James Beard-nominated owner and chef of Wildweed, in Over-the-Rhine, said at the time.
According to Michelin’s website, the new region came about thanks to the tourism boards of each city. And yes, they had to pay. For example, Minneapolis’ tourism improvement district is paying $250,000 a year for three years to secure this honor, according to Fox 9, a local Fox affiliate in Minneapolis. Kirkpatrick would not disclose the amount of money Visit Cincy paid for consideration in the guide.
But it’s not exactly pay for play. Just because the city forks up the money to be considered doesn’t guarantee a star. It simply means that Michelin will send judges to the participating cities to evaluate its restaurants for three separate categories, including a starred review or a Big Gourmand designation (more on that below).
What is the Michelin Guide?
The Michelin Guide has been published by the French tire company, Michelin, since 1900. At the time, there were fewer than 3,000 cars on the road in France, so Michelin created the guide to encourage drivers to purchase cars (and tires) and take to the roads. The guides provided car maintenance tips, maps and guides to top restaurants. Michelin also publishes the Green Guide, a series of general guides to cities, regions and countries. Its presence in the United States is relatively new.
According to USA TODAY, full-time Michelin inspectors first came to the United States in 2005 with the New York City Guide, followed by Los Angeles in 2007 (which was later placed in a more general California guide) and Chicago in 2010. Since then, Michelin has announced or released guides for Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, the American South (which curiously omits Kentucky) and the American Southwest.
How are Michelin starred restaurants selected?
According to Michelin’s website, anonymous inspectors of different nationalities assess restaurants around the world each year based on five criteria: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full.
Aside from star ratings, are other Michelin designations?
Yes. The Bib Gourmand award was created in 1997 to recognize establishments that serve good food at moderate prices. According to Michelin’s website, they are judged by the same five criteria used for starred restaurants. Some American restaurants that have earned Big Gourmand awards include Rodney Scott’s BBQ, in Charleston, and Turkey and the Wolf, a gourmet sandwich shop in New Orleans. That means local spots such as Zip’s or Camp Washington Chili could be eligible for this one.
The Michelin Guide will also include “selected” restaurants, which, according to Michelin, indicates a chef is using quality ingredients that are well-cooked and provide “a good meal.” According to Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin Guide books, “it means that the inspectors have found the food to be above average, but not quite at star or Bib level.” American restaurants selected for the guide include Arnold’s Country Kitchen, a classic meat-n-three spot in Nashville, and Helen, a contemporary Southern grill in Birmingham.
Now that Michelin is coming to town, expect restaurants to work even harder as they vie to be the first in the city to garner its coveted stars.
