What do Michelin stars mean for Cleveland?
Chris Oppewall, the president of Cru Uncorked, in the restaurant's wine cellar.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Foodies around Northeast Ohio are buzzing about the new Michelin Guide America Great Lakes. That’s because Cleveland is one of the six cities added to the prestigious guide. Other cities in the new guide include Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Pittsburgh.
This is significant on the North Coast because Cleveland restaurants are finally eligible for Michelin Stars, Bib Gourmand Awards and Select status. In fact, inspectors are already dining at the area’s best.
Michelin attention is the most coveted and rare recognition a restaurant can get. Very few restaurants around the world – 3,838 worldwide, 275 in the United States – have qualified for the star system. More qualify for Bib Gourmand designation and Select status.
Chef Dante Boccuzzi has received both Michelin and James Beard Award recognition.
The star system was created in 1926 by the Michelin tire company as a marketing tool. Originally the guide’s goal was to drive automobile travel and sell more tires. Over time it has evolved into a foodie resource.
Chef Liu Fang with three flavors of dumplings available as part of the Abundance Culinary Dumpling Club.
Ratings work like this
- One star means high-quality cooking, worth a stop – 3,142 worldwide, 171 U.S.
- Two stars means excellent cooking, worth a detour – 541 worldwide, 23 U.S.
- Three stars identifies exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey – 157 worldwide, 10 U.S.
- Bib Gourmand means offering exceptionally good food at moderate prices – 3,636 worldwide, 149 U.S.
- Selected means good food – 11,526 worldwide, 769 U.S.
Jeremy Umansky of Larder Delicatessen & Bakery.
The Michelin Guide entered the U.S. market in 2006. Then it concentrated on large population centers like New York City. That is changing. And Cleveland is ready for the expansion.
Founder and CEO Brandon Chrostowski of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute in Cleveland Heights.
Local chefs welcome the recognition, though some question whether the guide carries the same prestige it once did.
Cleveland is paying $150,000 annually for three years—a total of $450,000—to participate in the guide.
Luminaries do some Star gazing
“It’s a great recognition of what’s already here,” said Doug Katz, Chef/Founder of Edgewater Hospitality’s Kiln, Amba and Zhug. Katz worked in Boston and Aspen before returning home to Cleveland. He was a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for best restaurateur.
Doug Katz is chef-partner at Amba, Zhug and Kiln. He shares his thoughts on Michelin coming to Cleveland.
“As someone who loves Cleveland, I feel like putting us on the map in that way is a way to capture people who love tourism,” he said. “Our area is untapped. We’ve been looked at as a region that isn’t worth visiting because of some of our history and jokes about us.
“Now, with our fresh water, serenity, lack of traffic and small-town feel, people are craving that. It brings tourists to our area, and we show them what a great place we have.”
He noted that fine dining has become more casual and Michelin is catching up to that.
“Today Michelin is realizing and starting to award more casual places that offer fine dining experiences. We fit into that,” he said.
Michelin will certainly bring more attention to Cleveland, said Brandon Chrostowski, founder/chef of Edwins Leadership and Restaurant Institute. Chrostowski worked at two- and three-star restaurants in France. He won a 2025 James Beard Foundation Impact Award for his work at Edwins.
While the attention is good, Chrostowski was cautious.
“Michelin’s changed, you know, this is not the same Michelin as we once knew,” he said. “The whole idea is Michelin now has grown from an authentic, steadfast, careful, rating system to now a marketing and publicity game that they play very, very well and they’ve got the cachet to it.”
“I personally don’t work for stars. I work for people and for food, and they can rate how they wish,” he continued.
“Regardless of whether someone could bring one home or not, I think it’s more important for the region and the city of chefs to just continue to put out their best products and keep their head out of the clouds with this, just keep doing the best they can every day,” he said.
Chef Jeremy Umansky calls the announcement “exciting” and “validating.” Before opening Larder Delicatessen & Bakery in Cleveland’s Hingetown neighborhood. Umansky worked in New York. He’s been nominated for five James Beard Awards.
“I never thought in a million years they would come to Cleveland,” said Umansky. “Seeing that they think we’re good enough to be inspected is a mind-blowing relief.”
“In Cleveland we’ve been cooking good food and creating this dining scene. Seeing that Michelin is wanting to inspect Cleveland is validating.”
Keeping our best and brightest in the NEOrbit
Restaurateur/chef Liu Fang, owner of Abundance Culinary in Cleveland Heights sees both publicity and workforce benefits in a Michelin relationship.
“There’s a trickle-down effect,” she said. “We have lost culinary talents to bigger cities. We have people here who are willing to do the work but feel they won’t get the training or recognition to further their career here. If Michelin comes here, they have more confidence that they live in a best food scene city. I’m tired of the brain drain.”
“Cleveland has been doing a lot of cool things,” she continued. “One of the things I’ve noticed since I moved here, we beat ourselves up all the time. We don’t feel we have what it takes.
“We shouldn’t feel that we’re falling short,” she said. “We have what it takes. Ohio has some of the most varieties when it comes to agricultural goods. We have to believe in ourselves.”
The potential for recognition puts Cleveland on the culinary map, said Dante Boccuzzi, chef/owner of Dante in Tremont and several other Cleveland restaurants. Boccuzzi led the kitchen at Charlie Palmer’s Aureole in New York City when it received a Michelin star.
“I was afraid this day would never come and I’m glad it has,” said Boccuzzi. He predicted it will push excellence.
“[Inspectors] really examine and evaluate every aspect of the dining experience. Everyone will really have to pay attention and stay on top of all these things,” he said.
“It’s about bringing your A-game all the time,” he noted. “You never know when they’re coming, who’s coming. It’s a matter of being at your best all the time. In this aspect as a chef, it’s a lot of stress and pressure.”
“We’re hopeful, but they’re so thorough and they send so many people to evaluate before they give out stars,” said Chris Oppewall, president at Cru Uncorked in Moreland Hills.
“Everyone who walks through your door,” he said. “Their expectations just went up. It’s great thing as long as we can continue to deliver and go beyond.”
On a gastronomic mission
During the Great Lakes launch announcement in early April, Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, said the guide’s mission is to cover “the best of the best of the world’s gastronomy.”
And now that includes Northeast Ohio.
“Food is changing every day,” he said, noting that inspectors look for places that show a “willingness to go to the next level.”
Cleveland and the other five cities may benefit from increased tourism driven by the guide.
Reach for the Stars
The 2025 Ernst & Young “Beyond the Michelin Stars” Study shows the restaurant guide influences travel decisions. For example, 60% of international travelers under 34 use the Michelin Guide when choosing restaurants, and 74% consider its presence when selecting a destination.
“We know that culinary travel is a driver of visitation, and being included in the Michelin Guide puts Cleveland on the radar of travelers who may not have previously considered the city for its food scene,” said Emily Lauer, vice president of PR and Communications for Destination Cleveland.
“While we’re not putting a dollar figure on the program’s potential impact,” she said, “we expect a positive economic impact over time—more visitors, longer stays and increased spending across restaurants, hotels and local businesses.”
When she says “Cleveland” Lauer means Northeast Ohio.
“Because Destination Cleveland is funded primarily through Cuyahoga County lodging tax, that’s the core focus area,” she explained. “That said, we know that visitors do not plan trips solely along county boundaries, so we shared with Michelin that we encourage their independent inspectors to evaluate restaurants throughout the region.”
In Chicago, which was first included in a Michelin guide in 2011, city leaders and culinarians see the guide as an economic boost. The city currently has 20 Michelin-starred restaurants.
“We don’t isolate the direct economic impact of Michelin-starred restaurants, but we know tourism overall is a major economic driver in Chicago, generating over $20 billion in annual economic impact,” said Lisa Nucci, chief marketing officer for Choose Chicago. “We know culinary travel is an important part of the visitor experience.”
“It creates another reason for visitors to plan a trip, extend a stay, explore our neighborhoods, and experience the city,” she said.
The economics aren’t just tourism, they include workforce development, according to Derek Dawson, vice president, strategic initiatives at Visit Pittsburgh.
“We looked at how we can help develop the culinary scene as a place where people can find careers and drive innovation,” he said. “It made sense to look at Michelin … ultimately creating the American Great Lakes initiative.
“For us, similar to Cleveland and other rust belt destination friends, looking to continually grow our destination and the tourism within,” he said, “we all recognize that the culinary scene within our regions has continued to get better.”
Keeping their feet on the ground
Not every city is ready to participate. Buffalo, N.Y., and Columbus, Ohio, for example, opted out. At least for this year. That’s because inclusion in the guide required a financial commitment.
A Michelin spokesperson said it’s not a “pay-to-play” move.
“Destination Marketing Organizations cover some of the costs incurred in establishing the Michelin Guide in a new location,” said Michelin’s spokesperson. “This is to fund communication, digital and marketing campaigns to promote the selections and broadcast them to the world.”
Columbus wasn’t ready for that commitment.
“We have a standout culinary scene in Columbus that is celebrated nationally,” said Sarah Townes, chief marketing and innovation officer for Experience Columbus. “We are excited that Michelin is expanding to the Great Lakes region and welcome the global attention this will bring.”
“While we were in conversations with Michelin about the expansion and Columbus being included,” she said, “it required a significant financial investment that was not feasible at the time, but we hope to be included in the near future.”
Pittsburgh’s Dawson said the critics have it wrong with pay-to-play conclusions.
“This is a much broader culinary development initiative,” he said. “Michelin is a piece of that. This is about innovation. It’s about recognition. The more folks see Pittsburgh as a culinary destination, the more Pittsburgh will bubble up to top of mind.”
In Cleveland, Lauer said, “Destination Cleveland is investing in the expansion of the Michelin Guide into new markets, supporting the marketing and promotional efforts.”
“This partnership model is consistent across many U.S. cities and doesn’t impact which restaurants are selected or how they are evaluated,” she said.
To determine which restaurants merit examination, inspection teams explore destinations in person. They also use various sources including local and national media, social media and word-of-mouth recommendations.
While just announced, the Michelin relationship has been developing over the past year, said Dawson.
Inspectors are already on the ground. The Michelin Guide America Great Lakes is expected to be available in 2027.
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