The Michelin Guide, an international benchmark for dining quality, officially announced its impending Boston edition today, joining its recently launched Philadelphia guide under the new Michelin Guide Northeast Cities category. This expansion into Boston marks the latest move in Michelin's widespread proliferation across North America, with notable additions over the past two years such as Texas, Colorado, and Atlanta, and announced plans for Quebec and the American South set for 2025.
Michelin has already begun to scrutinize Boston-area eateries to determine which will receive the coveted stars or other accolades. According to Boston.com, restaurants in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and potentially beyond are currently under the discreet gaze of Michelin's anonymous inspectors, who aim to highlight places offering top-quality products, skillful cooking, and consistency across multiple visits.
Yet, it’s not just the inner city that Michelin is interested in. Carly Grieff, a spokesperson for Michelin, told Eater Boston that inspectors would also "focus first on Boston and its immediate neighbors including Cambridge," while keeping an option open "to discoveries in the close surrounding areas if something exceptional is uncovered."
Collaborations between Michelin and local tourism boards are not new, but are often filled with financial implications. For instance, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau laid out $1 million for three years of coverage, while an amalgam of six Texas tourism boards collectively paid $2,700,000 over a similar timespan. MeetBoston, Boston's tourism board, had previously refuted the idea of funding a Michelin Guide, citing substantial costs and the potential to show only a limited segment of the city's dining scene. However, this mindset has shifted, with Dave O'Donnell, the vice president of communications for MeetBoston, claiming that Michelin "brings unprecedented prestige and recognition to a destination," during an interview with Eater Boston.
The introduction of the Michelin Guide to Boston aims to not just bestow awards, but to potentially boost tourism and business for local restaurants. Exactly how much MeetBoston paid to have Boston restaurants considered for the guide has not been disclosed. Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guide, explained to Boston.com that both Boston and Philadelphia, as premier destinations for food enthusiasts, are ripe for the spotlight. Restaurants selected for the guide will be revealed at the upcoming Northeast Cities Michelin Guide Ceremony, the date and venue of which remain to be set.
