SAN ANTONIO – The renowned Michelin guide has completed its first trip through Texas. Recognized for its best and must-try cuisine, the guide has honored 117 restaurants in Texas and 13 in San Antonio.
“It was a bit of a dream at the time to see all that work. Open at Mixtil for eleven years,” says Mixtli owner and chef Rico Torres. “We started in a train carriage. All hardships. Nothing has been easy, but we fight. We struggle, we show up, we smile and we do it again.
Torres, along with co-owner and chef Diego Galicia and their team, brought home the only Michelin star in the Alamo City.
Here’s one guide to the Michelin Guide ranking system:
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A recommendation from the Michelin Guide is not an award, but it is not Nothing. According to the guide’s website, it is an inspector’s recognition of quality that has not yet been awarded.
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A Bib Gourmand is also NOT a star. This award rewards good food at a great price.
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One Michelin star means “High quality food, worth it.”
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Two Michelin stars means it’s worth going there, or as the inspectors put it: “Excellent food, worth the detour.”
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Three Michelin stars means that the meal is the reason for the trip, or “Exceptional cuisine, worth a special trip.”
“For us it makes perfect sense,” Galicia said. “We cook at a very high level and with a lot of precision, so we are completely at home there.”
Galicia and Torres said their dining experience is not just about a delicious dish. It also shows a beautiful story about all the regions of Mexico.
It was never the goal for their restaurant to earn a Michelin star.
“No,” Galicia said. “It was to feed our families. That was the most important thing. We have received many blessings along the way.”
As for Bib Gourmands, San Antonio had five restaurants recognized, including Cullum’s Attaboy.
“Think about what a Bib Gourmand means to us as a team, and as a small restaurant hidden in San Antonio,” said Christopher Cullum, owner and chef of Cullum, Attaboy.
Cullums Attaboy may be tucked away on the North St. Mary’s Stripbut it has now turned the eyes of the world to what it has to offer.
‘You order at the counter. You’re almost in our kitchen,” Cullum said. “You will see what we do, you will see how your food is prepared and you will feel our hospitality.”
While Cullum’s culinary legacy continues to grow, his late father and legendary jazz bandleader, Jim Cullum, has his own legacy that continues.
Cullum said his father’s legacy doesn’t stop with the classic hits, but with the role he played in Attaboy’s name and logo.
“He became the inspiration for the whole project because there was no one more in control of their lives than Jim Cullum,” Cullum said of his father.
“What do you think your father would say about this recognition?” KSAT asked Cullum.
“It’s just amazing,” Christopher said, imitating his father. “Go on! Attaboy!’”
How Mixtli is handling the new wave of customers coming in to try their cuisine didn’t seem to surprise the owners.
“I’m not worried about people coming in from all over the world anymore because they will get the same love hospitality service that we provide at the highest level that we can,” Torres said.
More coverage of the Michelin Guide on KSAT:
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