Mission Ballroom might be used to hosting rock stars, but on Tuesday evening it was all about the MICHELIN Guide Stars. Inside the Denver concert venue, chefs were the main act with some of their cuisine as the amuse-bouche—think Petrossian caviar, local delicacies from newly crowned Boulder Green Star Blackbelly Market and Denver Bib Gourmand The Ginger Pig. Coupled with drinks from Basil Hayden and Rémy Martin, water from Eira, and non-alcoholic offerings from Kally, chefs including Barclay Dodge of One MICHELIN Star Bosq in Aspen, Kelly Whitaker of One MICHELIN Star and Green Star Brutø and One MICHELIN Star and Green Star The Wolf’s Tailor in Denver, and Eric Skokan of Boulder Green Star Bramble & Hare took in the celebrations with cheer.
After rousing renditions by a few singing chefs of iconic songs, it was time for the ceremony to begin. Remarks from Tim Wolfe, Director of Colorado Tourism, and Denver’s Mayor Mike Johnston got the crowd excited before the MICHELIN Guide’s International Director Gwendal Poullennec took the stage alongside emcee Juliana Broste. Before the Stars were handed out, the duo were joined by Joe Fisch of Wine Access and Jonathan Marks of Beam Suntory to present the special awards for Service, Culinary Professional, Exceptional Cocktail, and Sommelier.
With the audience enraptured with the Awards, it was time for Poullennec and Broste to present the Green Stars (there are 4) and the newly crowned One MICHELIN Stars (there are 5). And as Poullennec raised a glass to toast the chefs from selection to Bib Gourmands to Stars, the evening ended with an elegant punctuation to the sounds of electric string quartet Spinphony.
Hero image: Marc Patrick/BFA
All images by Marc Patrick/BFA
