Austin, TX
Michelin Guide Texas: 3 Austin BBQ restaurants receive 1-star rating
Michelin Star BBQ in Austin
Three Austin barbeque restaurants received a Michelin Star, and were included in Michelin’s first Texas Guide.
AUSTIN, Texas – The flames burned a bit brighter at three Austin barbecue restaurants after a big win.
The Michelin Guide Texas was officially released at a ceremony in Houston on Monday, Nov. 11. The announcement came with an image of a familiar looking plate of food that seemed to acknowledge just how big BBQ is in Texas.
Austin’s one-star BBQ recipients include:
- InterStellar BBQ
- la Barbecue
- LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue
Texas Michelin Guide: Central Texas restaurant winners announced
Cole Parkman, the pitmaster for LeRoy and Lewis, provided FOX 7 with a tour of their restaurant.
“We’ve got quite a bit on today. We’ve got briskets back there. And then there are pieces of shoulder right here,” said Parkman.
With the award, Tuesday’s prep work certainly had a different feel.
“It’s fabulous. And it’s a wonderful company to be a part of. I’m just a little humble kid from Pasadena, Texas. Never thought I’d be working at a place with all of these Michelin-star chefs. It’s a wonderful place to be,” said Parkman.
The award wraps up a big year for LeRoy and Lewis. Earlier this year, they opened a South Austin location after working the past seven years out of a food trailer.
“Well, you know, a shock is really an understatement,” said Parkman.
The smoke coming from the pits at InterStellar’s Northwest Austin location was preparing meat for Wednesday’s customers. The owner of Interstellar, John Bates, was in Houston for the ceremony.
FOX 7 spoke with Chef de Cuisine Sinjin Tiger, who said he was at home when the award was announced.
“I was trying to relax. I was hanging out at home with my wife and the dogs and trying to pay attention to her, trying not to pay any attention to it. And then all of a sudden, I just started getting a bunch of phone calls and text messages, and it just kind of blew me away,” said Tiger.
Sinjin thinks their pork bellies, served with a peach tea coating, contributed to the win.
“It means the absolute world. I know this is something that Jon has been working for, you know, pretty much his whole life, and I feel like we’re just incredibly blessed to have the team that we have to work towards this goal and allow us to accomplish this goal,” said Tiger.
The owners of la Barbecue were not available for comment, but the staff said they’re also excited about receiving a star. The four other Austin restaurants awarded with One MICHELIN Star include:
- Barley Swine
- Craft Omakase
- Hestia
- Olamaie
“To be a Michelin Star restaurant is a big deal. And it is mostly fine dining and is really with the intention of doing this and being a Michelin Star restaurant. And somebody mentioned to me, well, why come to Texas if you’re not going to pick a barbecue place? I thought, well, you know. You’re right,” said Parkman.
The famous guidebook uses anonymous inspectors to judge locations and typically visit more than once. Officials with the guide say they were impressed by what they found on the menu in Texas. And now Central Texas BBQ is in the guide.
“And it’s nothing short of ecstatic for them. And I love to see what they’re doing and where they’re going to go after this,” said Tiger.
A little more than a dozen Austin area restaurants were also recognized for having great food at great value.
The full Michelin Guide Texas totals 117 Texas restaurants offering 26 types of food. They’re located in Austin, DFW, Houston, and San Antonio.
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin city leaders gathered on East 11th Street on Juneteenth to celebrate the “Black Artists Matter” mural before it must be removed under an order from the Texas Department of Transportation. The mural and the city’s rainbow crosswalk are slated for removal in compliance with a Texas Department of Transportation directive requiring cities to remove political ideologies from roadways. Last October, Gov. Greg Abbott directed TxDOT to enforce the policy.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson stood on the blocked-off street where the yellow letters spelling “Black Artists Matter” are painted on the roadway’s surface. “We will never forget that when the state decided to target our murals, the community stood together to celebrate our city’s diversity, spirit, and creativity,” Watson said.
Watson criticized the state’s actions, saying, “The state government engages in negative rhetoric and threats, it targets communities that it disagrees with and seeks retribution.”
In response to the order, Watson formed the Public Spaces Task Force to identify other ways to celebrate diversity in Austin.
ALSO| Screwworm medications straining animal shelter budgets across Texas
KEYE
Daphne McDole, chief executive officer of the African American Cultural Heritage District and a member of the task force, said she wanted the event held on Juneteenth because of its significance. “I wanted to do it on Juneteenth, it was significant to me because I knew that that was the day my community would be in the district. We will be celebrating over here all day, so it was appropriate,” McDole said.
Task force members said they are exploring alternatives to honor East Austin’s history and diversity. They noted that city leaders in San Antonio created rainbow sidewalks after removing rainbow crosswalks, but said Austin will pursue its own approach.
Task force chair Steven Rivas said the community is focused on preserving the meaning behind the markings. “We chose to come together as a community and find a way to respect what these markings mean and build upon them. If we can’t have them in the street, we’re going to put them off the street,” Rivas said.
AUSTIN, Texas — The screwworm outbreak is having a major impact on animal shelter budgets across Texas. Instant kill and preventative medications for dogs and cats are an unprecedented expense.
Paul is a rescue dog from South Texas, where he was living on the streets and starving. He is now at Austin Pets Alive! getting Screwworm prevention medication and the treatment he needs to get healthy.
“Any dog that enters our shelter period, but especially if they look like this, we are going over them with a fine-tooth comb and looking for anything that might be a wound where a screwworm might have been able to gain access,” said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, CEO and President of Austin Pets Alive!
RELATED| FDA authorizes generic over-the-counter drug to treat New World screwworm in pets
Dr. Jefferson says dogs and cats need regular checks of their eyes, noses, ears, and underneath their fur. But Austin Pets Alive! says the best protection is a combination of Capstar, which is an instant-kill medication for existing active screwworm larvae, and prescription preventatives that provide ongoing protection when administered every 30 days.
“Just to buy the initial Capstar for our program, it was close to $10,000,” said Rebecca Giamona, Asst. Medical Care Director at Austin Pets Alive!
Giamona says preventative meds are also putting a heavy financial strain on the nonprofit’s budget at a cost of around $70,000.
“We need about 5,000 doses of the monthly preventative, and they are roughly $14 to $15 per dose,” said Giamona.
Products with the active ingredients ending in l, a, n, e, r are highly effective at preventing and treating infestations. But keeping Paul and every shelter animal up to date will take help from the public.
“Donations, and hopefully some more donations,” said Giamona.
An infestation of New World Screwworm can be painful, disfiguring, and potentially deadly for animals. Most cases involve livestock, especially cattle, but dogs and cats can also get infestations.
AUSTIN, Texas – Central Texans gather to celebrate Juneteenth or “Freedom Day” on June 19 and commemorate the end of slavery.
What you can do:
The Greater East Austin Youth Association (GEAYA) is hosting the Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival today (6/19).
It’s free and taking place at Rosewood Park in East Austin located at 2300 Rosewood Ave.
The schedule for the events is as follows:
- ACME Juneteenth FunRun – 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Juneteenth Historical Parade – 10 AM – 12 PM
- Park Celebration and Fireworks – 12 PM – 9:45 PM
Other events
On June 20, the Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition will be taking place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural, and Genealogy Center located at 1165 Angelina Street.
It will be a day of celebration and remembrance and there will be BBQ plates and music as well as vendors and hands-on activations.
The backstory:
Juneteenth commemorates the end of formal slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and more than one month following the end of the American Civil War.
Colloquially known as “The Black 4th of July,” Juneteenth marks the beginning of an African American journey to carve a new place in society for free people to shape identities independent of racial caricature, eradicate slave culture, promote ethnic pride, and create economic prosperity.
The Source: Information from City of Austin and Greater East Austin Youth Association and reporting by Jessica Rivera.
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