Michelin Guide Delivers Stars to Austin Restaurants

At a ceremony in Houston last night, Michelin Guide announced the awardees for its first-ever guide to Texas. While no restaurants were awarded two or three stars (the most prestigious designations), 15 restaurants earned one star, and another two earned a Green Star distinction. No surprise here – Austin was well represented.

Barley Swine, Craft Omakase (newly named Best New Restaurant by Chronicle readers), Hestia, InterStellar BBQ, la Barbecue, LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, and Olamaie all received one star.* Dai Due and Emmer & Rye earned a Green Star, which celebrates restaurants leading the field in sustainability practices.

Additionally, 45 new Bib Gourmands, which offer the best value for money, were awarded, 14 to ATX eateries: Briscuits, Cuantos Tacos, Dai Due, Distant Relatives, Emmer & Rye, Franklin Barbecue, Kemuri Tatsu-ya, KG BBQ, La Santa Barbacha, Micklethwait Craft Meats, Nixta Taqueria, Odd Duck, Ramen del Barrio, Veracruz Fonda & Bar.

Keep scrolling to read Michelin inspectors’ writeups of the newly starred restaurants. Find the full list of winners from around the state at Michelin’s site.

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Editor's note: Due to an editing error, this post originally omitted two of the one-star awardees – InterStellar BBQ and la Barbecue – and misspelled the name of Briscuits. The Chronicle regrets the errors.

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One Stars: Austin

Barley Swine
Cuisine: Contemporary
The room is decidedly casual, and diners are welcome to come as they are, but there's no mistaking the passion of this kitchen. Chef/owner Bryce Gilmore makes deft use of local ingredients with a distinctly Southwestern palette of flavors that draws from Mexican and Southern traditions, while maintaining a contemporary, global sophistication. The tasting menu is carefully attuned to the seasons, and refinement is balanced with a sense of whimsy. A tiny everything bagel with a creamy smoked radish spread and cucumber infused with dill hot sauce might come as a first bite, and a flawlessly seared Muscovy duck breast might be matched with a buttery puree of popped corn and an earthy/sweet nixtamalized peach. From dishes bought at Goodwill and growing produce onsite to collecting rainwater for their garden, they're also committed to sustainability.

Craft Omakase
Cuisine: Japanese
Discreetly tucked away in Rosedale, Craft Omakase has a lounge up front with a dining room and counter in back. It is here where guests wisely place their faith in the hands of Chefs Charlie Wang and Nguyen Nguyen who dole out an impressive procession of nigiri and other bites. Their creative omakase doesn't shy away from embellishment, yet it's done with restraint and allows the fish to shine. An abundance of product hails from Japan, and the fish is skillfully handled. Preparations like an aguachile of pink shrimp with sweet potato or crudo of hamachi with yuzu-honey sauce are delightful stops in a line-up that may reveal ocean trout sprinkled with a furikake made with its crisped skin; shima aji with shiso and ume; or sea scallop dressed with ponzu and lemon zest.

Hestia
Cuisine: American
Push past the glass door of this restaurant in the heart of downtown and you'll immediately get the drift—quite literally, as wood smoke perfumes the air. This hot spot is all about live fire cooking, as evidenced by the 20-foot hearth in the open kitchen. Contemporary cooking is on display in both the à la carte and chef's tasting menu, and Texas produce and proteins take center stage. From savory to sweet, nearly everything is kissed by the flames or scented with smoke. "Embered" cantaloupe with green tomato and shiso blossoms is an elegant opener; and hearth-dried and blistered tomatoes over fresh grits is a comforting plate, but the seared scallop topped with green tomato kosho steals the scene with a tableside pour of beef tallow sauce atop the mushroom gelée base.

InterStellar BBQ
Cuisine: Barbecue
The mark of a good place is when a line starts forming before they've even opened, and at InterStellar BBQ, it's long before they've swung open the door. Everyone is here for a taste of pitmaster John Bates's barbecue, done low and slow over post oak. Brisket with a simple salt, pepper, and garlic rub, is outstanding but it doesn't end there. Peach tea-glazed pork belly is meltingly tender; the beer-brined tipsy turkey is moist and delicious; and there are three sausages on offer, including kielbasa. You can't go wrong with any of the enticing side dishes like the Frito pie, though the smoked scalloped potatoes with a golden-brown crust and the poblano creamed corn are standouts.

la Barbecue
Cuisine: Barbecue
Founded by the late LeAnn Mueller and now run by her wife, Ali Clem, la Barbecue's massive, custom-built pit in the backyard is the rarified workshop in which meaty miracles are realized. Inside, it's a simple space enlivened with bright colors and a disarming playlist with Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton. During peak hours, you can expect a substantial wait, but your patience will be rewarded with a first taste of the brisket as you reach the counter. You will marvel at the sublimely succulent, flavorful beef, but don't overlook the array of equally tempting offerings like house-made sausages, and pork or beef ribs. The team likes to keep things spicy, as in the chipotle cole slaw or fresh kimchi. Don't miss the mac and cheese.

LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue
Cuisine: Barbecue
What started as a food truck in 2017 can now be enjoyed in a spacious brick and mortar location in Garrison Park. The moniker refers to the duo of married couples who run this enticing operation where the spacious setting gives off midcentury vibes with its glazed brick exterior and peak-roofed dining area. The excellent barbecue menu isn't built around brisket, although that beloved item is available as a daily special at the end of the week. In fact, several specials keep things interesting throughout the week, such as spice-crusted, melt-in-your mouth beef cheeks or the daily sausage which may be studded with Hatch green chiles and mozzarella cheese. The banana pudding tiramisu is a clever hybrid with coffee-soaked 'Nilla wafers.

Olamaie
Cuisine: American
With its white clapboard and black shutters, Olamaie, named for the chef's grandmother, mother, and daughter, is a charming spot north of downtown Austin. Consider a cocktail, as their list is interesting and includes a daily punch and fun drinks like the Spaghetti Western martini with Texas olive-oil-washed gin, vodka, cherry tomato-infused dry vermouth, and basil eau de vie. Expect Southern cuisine that's been given a contemporary polish, and don't dare miss out on the buttermilk biscuit, served warm and accompanied by whipped honey butter sprinkled with sea salt. The chicken pressé is a novel take on chicken and dumplings and rounds out a bill of fare that also includes blackened dayboat fish, gumbo, and red rice with Gulf shrimp.

Green Stars: Austin

Dai Due
Cuisine: American
Texans are known around the world for their inimitable hometown pride, but Chef/owner Jesse Griffiths takes his affection for the Lone Star state to another level at Dai Due, where nearly everything, from produce and meat to olive oil and wine, is sourced from Texas. Brunch is available but it's the evenings when this place shines. Walk past the entrance filled with tempting baked goods and prepared meats to find a rustic back room perfect for hosting the supper club-style service. Skilled butchers tackle everything from wild boar and antelope to goat, and the plates are impressively offbeat. Hits include the cold meat board with antelope salami and wild boar and dill pickle terrine, as well as the smoked pork Porterhouse chop with sauerkraut, Bavarian mustard, and chutney.

Emmer & Rye
Cuisine: American
Some of Austin's most popular bars and restaurants are here on Rainey Street, and Emmer & Rye is no exception. This place is always packed and humming with a crowd, both outside on the breezy patio and indoors in the contemporary, inviting dining room. The new American menu is well-designed and tightly focused. From the in-house fermentation program and freshly ground heirloom grains figuring prominently on the menu to strong ties with many of Texas's small farms, there's a commitment to sustainability here. Yellowfin tuna crudo tucked with strawberries and cucumber is a refreshing opener before tucking into a plate of house-made cacio e pepe. Velvety and satisfying, it's been on the menu since the very beginning.