We’ve got some of the best pizza joints, fine-dining gems, and hidden food havens in the country—but is New Jersey ready for a Michelin star? That’s the golden question. And for local chefs dreaming big, it’s the culinary version of an Oscar.
Ask any top chef in the game, and they’ll tell you: a Michelin star isn’t just an award, it’s the award. “It’s every chef’s dream,” says Robbie Felice, one of Jersey’s most buzzed-about chefs, and the creative mind behind Viaggio Ristorante, Osteria Crescendo, pastaRAMEN, and the fresh new Bar Mutz.
The Michelin Guide—the prestigious dining bible born in France and known for its famously secretive inspectors—only hands out stars in cities and regions it officially covers. Think New York, L.A., Paris, Chicago… you get the idea. If you’re a chef working magic in a corner of Jersey, you might have to keep dreaming, at least for now.
So, What’s the Holdup?
It’s not that we don’t have the talent. We absolutely do. New Jersey’s food scene has exploded over the past decade, with chefs pushing boundaries and diners embracing everything from high-end tasting menus to modern takes on ramen and tapas. We’ve got the flavor. What we don’t have? The official Michelin Guide presence.
To bring the guide to a new area, Michelin first has to decide the region is worthy of what’s called a “destination assessment.” That means there needs to be a critical mass of high-quality restaurants, and—here’s the kicker—there’s usually a financial partnership involved. Destination marketing organizations (like state tourism boards) often foot part of the bill. In Colorado, for example, the state reportedly paid $100,000 to help bring the Michelin Guide there, with added support from local tourism groups and resorts.
Chef Felice puts it bluntly: “Michelin coming to Jersey? It’s the craziest thought to me… I’m more of a realist. Who’s paying for this?”
Would Michelin Even Consider Jersey?
It’s not a hard no. In recent years, Michelin has started branching out more across the U.S.—Colorado and Atlanta are both recent additions. So yes, it’s possible. But insiders say no talks are currently underway to make that happen here.
Amanda Stone of the New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association says that while nothing’s on the table yet, she believes recognition from Michelin would boost the state’s status as a serious food destination. “It would further cement our reputation,” she says—and she’s right.
We’ve got places like Lita, Heirloom Kitchen, and Judy & Harry’s setting the bar sky-high. Chef David Viana of Heirloom dreams of earning a Michelin star someday. But as Neilly Robinson of Heirloom Hospitality points out, “Our liquor laws are still holding us back.” For many chefs, the outdated alcohol license system in New Jersey makes it hard to open the kind of fine-dining establishments that thrive in Michelin-covered cities.
Does New Jersey Even Need Michelin?
Here’s the real question: do we need a Michelin Guide to tell us what we already know?
Karen Schloss Diaz, a longtime restaurant consultant here in the Garden State, thinks we might be waiting a while. “New Jersey just doesn’t get the respect it deserves,” she says. And honestly, she’s not wrong. For decades, the state’s been treated like NYC’s scrappy cousin—even when we’ve got restaurants that rival Manhattan’s best.
And here’s some real talk from younger diners: does Gen Z even care about Michelin stars? Is it still relevant, or has social media taken over as the new stamp of approval?
Still, there’s something about the legacy and prestige of a Michelin star that keeps it on every serious chef’s radar. “I love my state. I love New Jersey. I love everything about it,” Felice says. “I just don’t think it’s something I could ever even imagine happening.”
But Never Say Never
Sure, we might not have a Michelin Guide yet. But with more chefs betting on Jersey, the food scene evolving, and (hopefully) liquor law reform on the horizon, who’s to say we won’t catch Michelin’s eye in the near future?
Until then, we’ll keep celebrating the incredible restaurants we’ve already got—and trust us, they’re more than star-worthy. Whether you’re grabbing brunch in Montclair, ordering omakase in Jersey City, or cozying up to handmade pasta in Ridgewood, you’re already dining in one of the most exciting, underappreciated food scenes in the country.
Michelin or not, New Jersey’s on the rise—and we’ll be the first to tell the world.
