How Arizona chefs are regrouping after Michelin shock

Chef Ajay Singh remembers speaking with a customer at 5 p.m. during a dinner service at his Scottsdale restaurant Indibar. His phone dinged with an incoming email. He checked the screen, and his brain went blank.

The email was from the Michelin Guide.

“At that time, I don’t know where I’m standing. I’m just blackout,” the chef says. He wondered if the email was fake. “Then I take a breath, I take a water and I sit, then I read properly.”

Indibar, which at that point had been open for just over a year, was invited to the inaugural Southwest Michelin Guide ceremony. Singh runs the kitchen alongside Executive Chef Nigel Lobo.

Singh recalled this key moment while sipping a Michelin-stamped latte at the Fontainebleau’s signature French breakfast restaurant, La Fontaine, on the morning of Aug. 27. He was there for the chefs’ brunch hosted at the Las Vegas resort that held the Michelin Guide ceremony the night before.

It was a night of butterflies and surprises. Las Vegas has seen the Michelin Guide before, when its inspectors and stars came to town in 2008 and 2009. Sin City restaurants were looking to earn back their stars. Arizona is brand new to the game. Its chefs were hungry to taste that recognition for the first time.

Would this finally be the night Arizona chefs proved themselves on an international stage? Clawed their way out from under the shadow of Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego to show the world that Phoenix has arrived as a food city?

The answer, it turned out, was a mix. If anything, Arizona chefs left with a star-shaped chip on their shoulders.

A pack of underdogs

On the evening of Aug. 26, chefs and their dates packed the pre-ceremony reception held at the Moonstone Events Center at the Fontainebleau. In the modern, glass-walled events space typically used for weddings, Arizona chefs hugged and clinked glasses as they swallowed their nerves. 

Chefs arrived in their finest suits and dresses, switching out their chef coats and nonslip clogs for one evening. They posed for a photo on a small red carpet replete with a Michelin-branded backdrop, before entering the crowded party. Some chefs tried to eat. Charleen Badman of FnB in Scottsdale lost her appetite to anxiety. 

As to what she hoped would come of the recognition? The practical chef thought of her business.

“Hopefully (it’ll) make our summer a lot shorter and get all of us really busy,” Badman said.

Rene Andrade, one of Arizona’s most recognizable chefs, sauntered in decked out in a sharp, Western-inspired suit, dark sunglasses and a black felt hat. He snagged a cocktail and posed for a photo like a cowboy leaning against a saloon bar.

“I’m feeling great. It’s been a great night, and I’m happy just to be here,” he said. “The fact that Arizona is being part of this, that’s the biggest win.”

The chef glanced around the room and pointed out the teams from Kid Sister, Pretty Penny, Atria and Hush.

“The amount of people that are here, that’s what makes me so happy,” he said.

That sentiment echoed around the crowd and beyond. Chef Dom Ruggiero’s team at Hush Public House was live-streaming the event from his Scottsdale restaurant during the night’s dinner service.

The towering chef and retired Marine had traded his post in the kitchen for a night out with his wife at the Michelin ceremony. Among the familiar faces in the room were two chefs he’d previously worked with.

“It’s very humbling, especially to be here with two of my mentors, Charleen Badman and Rochelle Daniel, so to share the stage with them is really awesome,” Ruggiero said. “It’s a tremendous honor just to be in the conversation. We’re happy to be here and whatever happens, happens.”

A couple of cocktails had also helped with the nerves, he joked.

A violinist in a sparkling sequined dress roamed around the room, sliding among groups of chefs, playing as she walked. Bartenders wearing vests and bowties at a central bar frantically slung drinks, while chefs grazed from food stations around the room. Some catering crews took photos with the Michelin signs, just proud to be in the room. 

At one station, workers used a long blade to slice thin shavings from a leg of dried ham, adding them to bags of salt-and-vinegar chips for a portable charcuterie reminiscent of a walking taco. At a caviar ballpit, an attendant in a gown decorated with small black balloons encouraged chefs to hop in and pose for a photo. At one point, a chef fell, sending black caviar balls spilling across the floor.

While the absence of the iconic Michelin Man mascot was noticeable, Las Vegas showgirls in Michelin-red corsets holding fans of long red feathers were a very on-theme replacement. After a quick performance, they guided the crowd to the BleauLive Theater for the Michelin ceremony. The show was about to begin.

Long-awaited results 

The cohort filed into the theater, eager to see how the ceremony would work. Valley chefs are accustomed to James Beard Award pressure, but until this year, Michelin’s inspectors had never paid attention to Arizona.

Michelin Guides are pay-to-play. Local tourism boards — from Arizona, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico, in this case — pay to bring the guide to their city or region. Arizona coughed up $200,000 for the privilege. 

Once the guide comes to town, however, the results are designed to be impervious. Michelin maintains that stars depend solely on inspectors’ opinions of a restaurant’s worth.

Star status is elusive and can be expensive. Las Vegas boasts casino-backed restaurants with infinite budgets, where chefs procure the world’s best ingredients. Arizona’s top restaurants are largely independent mom-and-pop spots. Their reach is more modest.

Ahead of the ceremony, only 161 restaurants worldwide had three stars. Another 548 had two and 3,180 had earned one star. Considering the millions of restaurants worldwide, earning a star is a steep order.

Local chefs knew all of this as they awaited the results. Many tried to manage their expectations to spare themselves the heartbreak to come. But tapping feet, shuffling hands and pensive faces gave them away. These chefs wanted stars bad.

With spotlights darting around the room, Las Vegas entertainment host Rachel Smith took to the stage. She was accompanied by the International Director of the Michelin Guide, Gwendal Poullennec. In his French accent, and dressed in a sharply tailored tuxedo, Poullennec welcomed the crowd. 

First up were the evening’s special awards. Beyond the Michelin recommendations, which go to a whole restaurant, a few award categories go to individuals. Arizona took home three of these distinctions. 

FnB chef and Blue Watermelon Project founder Badman earned the Mindful Voices award. This distinction celebrates her dedication to Arizona farmers and producers, as well as students through her nonprofit’s work to bring healthier foods to local schools.

Andrade of Bacanora and Huarachis won the Young Chef award. Bounding onto the stage to a chorus of whoops from the crowd, he raised the silver award high in the air and exclaimed, “Arriba Arizona!” 

John Germain of Scottsdale’s Reserve won Michelin’s Sommelier award.

Next up, with the awards ceremony building toward the stars at the end, each state’s “Selected Restaurants” were announced. These are spots that serve above-average food, not yet rising to the level of a Michelin Star, but included in the guide and notably, on inspectors’ radars for consideration in future guides.

A “Star Wars”-style list scrolled on the large screen, challenging the MC to keep up as she read off the names. 

Flagstaff’s Atria was listed alongside Valley restaurants Bacanora, Christopher’s, Fry Bread House, Glai Baan, Hush Public House, Indibar, Latha, Pretty Penny, Reserve, ShinBay and Tratto. 

As the chefs took the stage, a range of emotions were on full display. As they smiled for photos, a difficult realization set in: They would not be awarded stars. 

Next up, the Bib Gourmand restaurants were announced. The category recognizes restaurants that offer high-quality food at accessible prices. Seven more Arizona chefs got their moment in front of the glowing red screen as FnB, Huarachis Taqueria, Kid Sister, Little Miss BBQ, Lom Wong, Pizzeria Bianco and Valentine were called up. 

Finally, the stars were announced. 

Three Las Vegas restaurants and a Utah restaurant captured one star apiece. Only one spot, Restaurant Joël Robuchon, a renowned French eatery open for 21 years at the MGM Grand, garnered two Michelin stars.

The five men made their way to the stage to switch their suit jackets for the iconic white Michelin coat. The 2026 stars had landed. And Arizona was left to spectate.

Disappointed and determined 

Directly after the ceremony, the mood was decidedly less jovial for Arizona’s chefs. They exited the theater and met their teams, who had been eagerly waiting outside. Chef Rochelle Daniel of Flagstaff looked disappointed as she took a deep breath and walked toward her team. 

Chefs Lobo and Singh of Indibar quickly shifted to gratitude for the invite and inclusion as a recommended restaurant. Their conversation turned to determination for the future as they worked hard to find silver linings in the moment.

The only star that mattered now, Lobo said as he walked out of the theater, was the sun coming up in the morning. The stress was over. It was time for a drink.

As many of the chefs headed to the afterparty, Andrade, who had a better night than most, continued to be his bubbly self. The newly minted Michelin Young Chef winner joked, “When they said young, I thought, ‘who?’”

Chef and pitmaster Scott Holmes, who owns Little Miss BBQ with his wife Bekke Holmes, earned a Bib Gourmand. He was the one Arizona chef after the ceremony who seemed genuinely excited about the results.

“It’s just so cool to be here,” he said. When he set out to perfect the art of smoking meat, making the Michelin Guide wasn’t his goal. 

For other chefs, who spend their days ideating tasting menus and dicing perfectly consistent vegetables, it has been a lifelong dream.

Arizona had a great showing at the first iteration of the Southwest guide, second only to the host state of Nevada, which had 24 restaurants listed. New Mexico had 12, and Utah had nine. However, after the ceremony, dreams felt dashed. 

At brunch the next morning, Lobo hadn’t yet made it down to the restaurant. Singh sipped his coffee and digested the previous day’s events as he waited for his longtime friend. 

“Yesterday, definitely I’m nervous. But today I’m OK,” he said. “Because, you know, now I know everything, so today I’m OK.”

Just over 12 hours after the ceremony, the chef was looking to the future. The inclusion in the awards, but the lack of a star, is inspiration to work even harder, he said. 

He and Lobo worked together for a decade in Dubai and are bringing their modern take on Indian cuisine to the Valley. Soon, they plan to open a special room within Indibar, where they’ll serve an 18-course tasting menu suited to the Michelin experience.

“My dream is to be a one-Michelin-star chef,” Singh said. “This year, it did not happen. But I’ll try for next year.”

Surprises at the ceremony 

Within Arizona’s results, there were a few surprises, good and bad. Before chefs traveled to Las Vegas, the consensus held that Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion was a sure star. Instead, Christopher Gross’ fine-dining tasting menu destination was named a Selected Restaurant.

The chef, with his signature thick-framed glasses and brushed-back snowy hair, was recovering from a recent knee surgery. He leaned on a cane as he stood in the center of the stage with the 11 other Selected Restaurants for an Arizona group photo. 

There were also some noticeable absences. Chef Cory Oppold’s Scottsdale tasting menu spot Course wasn’t on the list, and the chef wasn’t in Las Vegas. Chef TJ Culp of Restaurant Progress and Sottise was not there, and Kai, the only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star restaurant in Arizona, was not included. 

Lom Wong co-owner Alex Martin was pissed that his friend, chef Lawrence “LT” Smith, didn’t get an invite.

“It went how I thought it was gonna go,” Martin, now the co-owner of a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, said. “My only surprise is, I think it was bullshit that Chilte wasn’t here. I’m just gonna go on the record and say they’re one of the best restaurants in Phoenix. They should have been here.”

Amid the recognition, there were some surprises in the Bib Gourmands’ categorization. The distinction recognizes restaurants that serve excellent food at a great value. 

Arizona spots FnB, Kid Sister, Lom Wong and Valentine were among those named Bib Gourmands. These restaurants are elevated destinations we’d recommend for a special date night or a birthday dinner, where customers should dress up and treat themselves. 

In 2023, the category was reserved for restaurants where customers could order a three-course meal for under $50. At our local Bib Gourmands, which serve a $63 New York strip and $48 braised lamb, you’d be lucky to escape for just 50 bucks. But, hey, when a meal at the cheapest Michelin Star winner this year clocks in at $120 per person, maybe our local spots are a bargain.

Martin says he was proud that Arizona’s recognized restaurants didn’t fit the Michelin Guide’s traditional mold. The stars of the evening went to mostly French, fine-dining, tasting menu destinations, classic Michelin picks. But Arizona’s restaurants included Thai and Indian eateries, a pizzeria and a barbecue joint.

“Showcasing different cuisines and, like, not fitting a mold and then getting invited to something is more meaningful than trying to fit a mold,” Martin said.

Awards and distinctions are not something the Martins place a lot of weight on. When chef Yotaka “Sunny” Martin won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2025, the petite chef stood on stage and said, “I never knew about the James Beard Awards until we were nominated.”

When she and her husband and business partner traveled to Chicago for the awards, it was the last flight she took before the couple welcomed their second baby. In Las Vegas last week, the young parents had both kids in tow.

“We always say we’re a family restaurant, but now you can kind of see we really mean that in a very literal sense,” Martin said.

Martin appreciated Michelin’s structure. Unlike the James Beard Awards, the recognition isn’t winner-take-all. Any number of restaurants can be awarded stars.

“I’ve always felt very uneasy with competition in the food industry because, like, I don’t think creative endeavors need to be competitive,” Martin says. “Creative endeavors should just be appreciated for what they are.”

Either way, at the chefs’ brunch in Las Vegas, his thoughts had already returned to service in Phoenix that night.

“It’s very glamorous, all this,” he said. “And then you go back to your restaurant and you’re like, ‘All right, where are the 300 things I need to fix the second I walk back in?’”

Stars on the horizon

For many Arizona customers and fans, the Michelin ceremony felt like a snub. After all of the buildup, why didn’t we get any stars?

That disappointment discounts the recognition that Arizona restaurants did receive. Nineteen spots are now in the guide. For a state that has never had any Michelin recognition, that’s huge.

When travelers from around the globe look up where to eat in the Michelin Guide’s online database, restaurants in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Flagstaff now pop up. 

When Las Vegas was included in the Michelin Guide in 2008 and 2009, 17 Sin City restaurants received stars. For Las Vegas, the 2026 Southwest Guide was something of a homecoming.

Previously, Restaurant Joël Robuchon earned three stars. It received two this year. Restaurant Guy Savoy previously earned two stars. This year, it got one. 

On the Michelin stage, it appears, there’s always more to accomplish. Arizona restaurants are just getting started.

Sam Olguin, who attended the awards with his business partner Brenon Stuart and earned “Selected Restaurant” recognition for their downtown Phoenix spot, Pretty Penny, summed it up with yet another shoutout to our local industry.

“Something that we learned a long time ago from Jason Asher in the cocktail world: He told me that he never left Phoenix because he wanted to make Phoenix better,” Olguin said. “And I thought that was cool, because most bartenders or chefs or whoever leave to cities where you can get more recognition, more notoriety. But now that there’s the ability for more recognition here, that’s going to help everybody out. Rising tides raise all ships. And this is just going to push everybody to do more.”

In a year, we’ll run it all back. The Michelin Guide is annual. Next time it rolls around, Arizona chefs will have the opportunity to trade their chef’s coats for suits and heels and dream once again. A star is within reach.