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Here Are the Results of Eater Austin’s Michelin Guide Texas Reader Survey

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Here Are the Results of Eater Austin’s Michelin Guide Texas Reader Survey


French international dining review system Michelin is coming to Texas for the first time this year. The Michelin Guide Texas will cover Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth. The company’s anonymous inspectors have already been dining out in the cities, determining which restaurants are worthy of earning coveted one, two, or three star ratings; Bib Gourmands (awarded to more affordable but still quality dining destinations); and Michelin Green Stars (given to restaurants with highly sustainable/eco-friendly practices).

Eater Austin shared our predictions for Michelin-rated restaurants in Austin last week, then we asked y’all, our dear readers, for your guesses and thoughts about the guide coming to Texas.

Of the 90 respondents, many were excited about Michelin Texas happening, echoing sentiments that it was about time it happened. One person wrote, “If it’s in Colorado, [it] should be in Texas.” (Michelin published its first Colorado guide in 2023.) Another commented that it “should have happened years ago.”

One reader sees that Michelin deeming Austin worthy of dining evaluations proves that the city’s dining scenes are worthy. “It shows that — though our service is distinctly ‘Austin,’ with warm, inviting, but casual hospitality touches — we have a passionate group of chefs and hospitality professionals that have something to say, and are serious at the table with larger cities,” they wrote. But they also caution that Austin restaurants and chefs should keep to a Texas hospitality ethos: “As long as everyone in restaurants remembers they’re here because of what we were already doing and not try to morph into service styles in New York or LA, it will benefit everyone in the industry.”

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Others see Michelin’s Texas arrival as an opportunity to level up Austin’s restaurants. One wrote that “it will bring tourism, more talent, and greater level of accountability of excellence beyond local critics.” A reader said, “I hope it raises the quality of the industry in the area,” while another commented, “Honestly, [I] don’t think we need ’em, but if it helps the industry, that’s cool.”

One reader who doesn’t think that Texas restaurants are generally Michelin-worthy does think the guide is a good thing: “It will give restaurants a reason to push the envelope and not become complacent as I feel many have.”

The attention paid to Michelin-approved restaurants would benefit other restaurants and businesses. One person explained that “a high tide raises all ships.”

Some don’t think Austin is worthy of Michelin, though. One explained that, while the guide is “better for the quality level overall” for the state, “no Austin restaurants deserve any stars currently (IMO).” Many of the respondents to the survey agree with that sentiment, especially when it comes to the service components, suggesting that no restaurants would earn stars (see the rundown below). One reader wrote that only Dallas and Houston has restaurants that are Michelin quality, not Austin.

Another wrote that “if they are including service, none” would get stars, but if it was based on “pure taste, some sushi place could sneak in,” predicting that Austin would probably get a “token one star.”

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Others are concerned that the arrival of such a huge dining guide in Texas could impact Austin negatively. A reader wrote, “I’m somewhat excited, but also nervous how it might change the Austin dining scene and raise prices even more.” Another bluntly put it: “Shouldn’t have happened. Michelin ruins the culinary scene and experience!” Others worry about increasing prices and harder-to-get reservations.

Still, many agree that Austin will get many Bib Gourmands and recommended restaurant designations. Below are Eater Austin readers’ Michelin top Michelin predictions for Austin, ranked.

One Michelin Star in Austin predictions

  1. None
  2. Barley Swine
  3. Franklin Barbecue
  4. Jeffrey’s
  5. Hestia/Uchi [tie]

Two Michelin Star in Austin predictions

  1. None
  2. Otoko
  3. Hestia
  4. Uchi
  5. Birdie’s/Emmer & Rye/Jeffrey’s/Olamaie (tie)

Three Michelin Star in Austin predictions

  1. None
  2. Uchi
  3. Jeffrey’s
  4. Barley Swine
  5. Canje

Bib Gourmand in Austin predictions

  1. Nixta Taqueria
  2. Franklin Barbecue
  3. Birdie’s/Canje/Odd Duck (tie)
  4. Foreign & Domestic/Interstellar BBQ/Loro/Ramen del Barrio/Suerte/Uchiko (tie)
  5. Bufalina/Cuantos Tacos/Dai Due/Discada/Emmer & Rye/Este/Hestia/Jeffrey’s/Justine’s/La Barbecue/Launderette/Lenoir/Matt’s El Rancho/Perla’s/Sammie’s/Uchi/Underdog (tie)

Michelin Green Star in Austin predictions

  1. Dai Due
  2. Emmer & Rye
  3. Odd Duck
  4. Fabrik
  5. Barley Swine/Canje/Intero/L’Oca d’Oro/Nixta Taqueria/Olamaie (tie)

Michelin Recommended in Austin predictions

  1. Emmer & Rye/Franklin Barbecue/Suerte (tie)
  2. Birdie’s/Odd Duck (tie)
  3. Canje/Este/Intero/La Barbecue (tie)

306 East 53rd Street, , TX 78751
(512) 459-1010



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North Texas middle school closes after a norovirus outbreak

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North Texas middle school closes after a norovirus outbreak


A middle school in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD is closed Friday after an outbreak of norovirus.

According to the school district, they closed Creekview Middle School in Fort Worth on Friday to sanitize and clean the building. The district said they plan on reopening the school on Monday.

The district said children started to get sick on Tuesday with what appeared to be a stomach virus and that on Wednesday it spread to a larger group.

EMSISD said they reached out to the Tarrant County Public Health Department and that they recommended disinfecting and cleaning the school on Wednesday night and reopening the next day.

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More cases continued to be reported on Thursday, so the public health department then recommended that they clean again and close the campus on Friday.

Parents were notified of the district’s decision on Thursday afternoon.

The district has not said how many students and staff were sickened in the outbreak.

Officials with Children’s Medical Center said that because norovirus is highly contagious and resistant to many common hand sanitizers, it presents a unique challenge for families.

The hospital says hand sanitizer isn’t enough and recommends thorough hand washing with soap and water. They also recommend parents keep their children home for a full 48 hours after symptoms stop to prevent further outbreaks.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are approximately 2,500 norovirus outbreaks in the United States each year and that they are most common from November through April. For further tips on preventing the spread of norovirus, visit the CDC.



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Trump heads to Texas, where 3 friends are battling it out in the Senate Republican primary

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Trump heads to Texas, where 3 friends are battling it out in the Senate Republican primary


WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump just can’t seem to choose among friends in the Texas Senate Republican primary.

So when he travels to the state on Friday for his first post- State of the Union trip, where he plans to promote his energy and economic policies, Trump will have all three candidates in the competitive race join him — just days before his party casts ballots in the primary race.

Sen. John Cornyn is battling for his fifth term and is being challenged by state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt in a primary fight that has become viciously personal. And all three men, missing the coveted endorsement from Trump, have been trying to highlight their ties to him as they ramp up their campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

For his part, Trump will be seeking to ride the message of his State of the Union address from Tuesday, where he declared a return to economic prosperity and a more secure America — two centerpiece arguments for Republicans as they campaign to keep their congressional majorities this fall.

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Trump’s hesitation to endorse in the Texas Senate primary speaks to the tricky dynamics of the race.

Cornyn is unpopular with a segment of Texas’ GOP base, in part for his early dismissiveness of Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign and for his role in authoring tougher restrictions on guns after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. But Senate GOP leadership and allied groups see Cornyn as the stronger general election candidate, in light of a series of troubles that have shadowed Paxton.

Paxton beat impeachment on fraud charges in 2023, and has faced allegations of marital infidelity by his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, right, is joined by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, during a campaign stop in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. Credit: AP/Eric Gay

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have urged Trump to endorse Cornyn. They and allied campaign groups argue that the seat would cost the party hundreds of millions more to defend with Paxton as the candidate.

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“It is a strong possibility we cannot hold Texas if John Cornyn is not our nominee,” Scott told Fox News on Wednesday.

Hunt, a second-term Houston-area representative, was a later entry to the race, but claims a kinship with Trump, having endorsed him early in the 2024 race. Hunt campaigned regularly for Trump and earned a prime-time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

If no candidate reaches 50% in Tuesday’s primary, the top two finishers will advance to a May 26 runoff.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas,...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, arrive before President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Credit: AP/Allison Robbert

Cornyn’s campaign and a half-dozen allied groups have poured more than $63 million into the race since last fall, chiefly trying to slow Paxton but recently attacking Hunt in an effort to keep him from making it to the runoff.

Earlier this month, Trump feinted toward weighing in on the race when he said he was taking “a serious look” at endorsing in the Texas primary. He has since reaffirmed his neutrality.

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Still, you wouldn’t know it from watching TV in Texas. Cornyn has been airing ads since last year touting his support for Trump’s agenda, even though his relationship with the president has been cool at times. Paxton and Hunt both have ads airing now featuring them standing with Trump.

“I like all three of them, actually. Those are the toughest races. They’ve all supported me. They’re all good. You’re supposed to pick one, so we’ll see what happens. But I support all three,” Trump said earlier this month.

The GOP battle comes as Democrats have a contested primary of their own in Texas between state Rep. James Talarico, a self-described policy wonk who regularly quotes the Bible, and progressive favorite U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Trump hasn’t been shy about wading into other contested Republican primaries in the state. Parts of Corpus Christi fall within Texas’ 34th congressional district, where former Rep. Mayra Flores is fighting to reclaim her seat against the Trump-endorsed Eric Flores. (The two are not related.) The winner of the primary will face off against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, long a target of the GOP, whose district was redrawn to make it easier for a Republican to win.

Eric Flores will be at the Trump event at the Port of Corpus Christi, which technically is located in a neighboring district.

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Elsewhere in the state, the president has also endorsed Rep. Tony Gonzales, who is fighting calls from his own party to resign from Congress after reports of an alleged affair with a former staffer who later died after she set herself on fire. Gonzales is refusing to step down and has said that there will be “opportunities for all of the details and facts to come out” and that the stories about the situation do not represent “all the facts.”

Gonzales is facing a primary challenge from Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and gun rights influencer who Gonzales defeated by fewer than 400 votes in their 2024 runoff. The White House did not return a request for comment on Thursday on whether Trump stands by his endorsement of Gonzales.



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Man sentenced to 15 years in Texas crash that killed founding member of The Chicks

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Man sentenced to 15 years in Texas crash that killed founding member of The Chicks


EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting his reckless driving caused a head-on collision in rural West Texas that killed Laura Lynch, a founding member of the country music group now known as The Chicks, prosecutors said.

Domenick Chavez, 33, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Dec. 22, 2023, crash in Hudspeth County, according to a news release Tuesday from El Paso County District James Montoya, who also oversees nearby Hudspeth County.

The news release said Chavez was driving a truck westbound when he tried to pass four vehicles on a two-way undivided highway and collided head-on with Lynch’s eastbound truck. Lynch, 65, of Dell City, was trapped in her vehicle and died. Prosecutors said Chavez was traveling between 106 mph and 114 mph.

Prosecutors said alcohol wasn’t a factor in the crash but that Chavez was driving on a suspended license, which had been revoked due to his failure to comply with DWI-related surcharges and penalties from convictions in 2014 and 2017.

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Lynch, along with Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer, formed The Dixie Chicks in the late 1980s. Lynch and Macy eventually left the band and Natalie Maines joined the sisters. The trio hit commercial fame with their breakthrough album “Wide Open Spaces” in 1998 and have won 13 Grammys. In 2020, the band changed its name to The Chicks.

In a social media post after Lynch’s death, The Chicks said Lynch had “infectious energy and humor” and was “instrumental” in the band’s early success.



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