Michelin may have dinged Virginia's food scene, docs suggest
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Michelin recognition is game-changing for restaurants that receive the honor. Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The $120,000 a year Michelin wanted to charge Virginia to be in its forthcoming Southern restaurant guide was steeply discounted compared with what other Southern states are paying.
Why it matters: Virginia's rate may have been a statement on the state's restaurant scene's lack of "maturity," suggest records from the Louisiana Office of Tourism obtained by Axios New Orleans.
The big picture: As we reported in April, Virginia opted out of being included in the Michelin Guide to the South largely due to the price tag.
- The state tourism office would've had to pay $120,000 a year for three years to be included.
Yes, but: Six other Southern states opted in — to the tune of $1.65 million a year in a three-year contract, Axios New Orleans' Chelsea Brasted reports.
- That includes an annual $350,000 each from Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
- And $125,000 annually each from Mississippi and Alabama.
Zoom in: Why the different amounts? Michelin tells Axios in a statement that the state rates were set by Travel South USA, a regional marketing agency that contracted with Michelin to bring the guide to the South.
- Travel South USA then subcontracted with tourism agencies across each of the states, including city partners, to pool the funds and hammer out the details.
- Travel South USA didn't return Axios' request for comment on the rates.
Behind the scenes: A slide included in the trove of Michelin documents and emails about expanding to the South may offer a clue.
- It shows a map of states across the South in varying shades of blue.
- The colors emphasize each state's "culinary maturity," according to an email from Michelin. That's a key standard for determining whether the guide enters a market, The New York Times reported.
- Notably, Michelin has Virginia in a medium shade of blue — lighter than the dark blue for Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee — suggesting the group views the state's restaurant scene as not yet fully mature.
The intrigue: Michelin didn't comment on Virginia's medium-blue shade or its view of the state's scene, but its anonymous chief inspector for the Michelin Guide North America did offer some insight into what makes a scene culinarily mature.
- "Destinations that prove worthy of establishing a Guide have a high-quality culinary scene along with a density of restaurants," per a statement from the chief inspector.
Specifically, when inspectors go out, they're "looking for restaurants that embody the five universal criteria," which are, according to the inspector:
- Quality products.
- Harmony of flavors.
- Mastery of cooking techniques.
- Voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine.
- Consistency between each visit (each restaurant is inspected several times a year) and through the menu as a whole.
Plus, according to the inspector, Michelin won't enter into partner conversations if it doesn't think a dining scene — in this case a state — has "the gastronomy maturity to warrant further exploration."
The bottom line: It appears Virginia's discounted rate may have come with a side of shade.
Go deeper: Read everything Axios New Orleans uncovered through their records request.