Imagine eating out at restaurants (or having takeout) for every single meal since 2019. That’s High Speed Dining’s Joel Haas.
Being born with only five fingers, fighting cancer and living with two artificial hips, Haas lets nothing get in the way of enjoying life to the fullest, which in his case, is dining out at MICHELIN-Starred restaurants.
Over the past decade, he’s eaten thousands of restaurant meals across America, supporting chefs and servers, especially in his home base of Washington, D.C. During the pandemic, he didn’t just eat out—he even gave back, donating thousands of dollars to food banks and restaurant workers in need.
Through social media, Joel has amassed hundreds of millions of views and about 1.5 million loyal followers, many of whom were inspired to try MICHELIN-Starred restaurants for the first time. Even with such a large following, he has so far paid for his own meals, as he earnestly wants to support the restaurant community.
Joel most recently completed his 1,000th MICHELIN-Starred meal at The Inn at Little Washington (Three Stars and Green Star). The restaurant is the oldest restaurant in America to receive a Three Star honor and has long been a true beacon for how delicious American cuisine can be.
For this important milestone, Chef Patrick O’Connell and the entire restaurant team built an experience that Joel described as “the greatest meal” he’s ever had in his life, out of the thousands and thousands he's had over many decades. In addition to an unforgettably delicious tasting menu that The Inn is internationally recognized for, the evening was full of specially curated details, including homemade wood carvings from team member Nelson Colwell.
Bibendum even decided to join the celebrations, and Gwendal Poullennec (International Director of The MICHELIN Guide) delivered a special congratulatory video message for the major milestone.
Below, Joel reflects on his remarkable journey, favorite restaurants and what keeps him smiling.
How did your MICHELIN Star journey begin?
I've been working from home since 2008, and I was a workaholic. Great food was a lot of fun and a great way to get out of the house.
When The MICHELIN Guide D.C. came out, there were 12 restaurants at the time. I said, “I'm going to visit every single one in about a month.” That was the start. In 2019, I did 600 meals, and 189 were MICHELIN-Starred.
I get obsessive and go all in like it's an Iron Man.
You’ve eaten out for every single meal since 2019. What are your most visited restaurants?
In D.C., I have visited all of the MICHELIN-Starred restaurants several times. Some I've been to over 40 times. The Dabney (every dish a true winner), Rooster & Owl, Masseria. It's not the same menu over and over. Things change seasonally.
For Jônt, I was their very first customer. Back then, it was Bresca. They're serving you over 30 different types of foods of the highest quality ingredients. Boy did they blossom into something special!
Reverie. It’s a great tasting menu and Johnny is very friendly. minibar makes me very happy. The entire meal is an edible magic show. Fiola always makes me feel special, glad to be alive and eating so well.
Your favorite restaurant is Blue Hill at Stone Barns. What makes it so special?
Blue Hill is an outrageously great meal.
Most of my meals lasted six hours or so. They have probably as many staff as customers. They drop off in the first 10 minutes [about] 10 different things. All these vegetables that are showing the freshness of the farm and the current harvest. The food is really flavorful, very crunchy.
They're served in strange ways. They rarely use plates. Everything is on logs, skulls and bricks. The restaurant itself is really quiet. Sounds of birds chirping during the day, and when it goes to night, sounds of crickets.
It is a ballet with food. It is art and skill. They love what they're doing, and it shows.
What do you enjoy most about MICHELIN-Starred restaurants?
When The MICHELIN Guide comes to your city, everybody starts to elevate their consistency.
It's the passion and the vision of every chef in their food. You're really getting art and a lifetime of experience in a plate of food. At a lot of the places, you do not have to pick the food you eat. I'm just a kid in the candy store.
Why did you choose The Inn at Little Washington as your 1,000th MICHELIN-Starred meal?
The Inn has been around for over 47 years and is the only Three Star restaurant in our area. The chef is a legend. They have a Green Star because they're really ahead of their time when it comes to being good for the Earth. They have a cheese cart that is a cow, mooing throughout. It's one of those meals that you never forget.
In other cities, what are some of your favorite restaurants and memories?
Atlanta: Atlas, hands down. A monster meal of the highest quality. Epic meal. Incredible detail, so much fun. There's a beautiful cheese cart and several desserts. And Atlanta is a great city.
Chicago: Alinea is always an obvious answer for amazing meals that are very memorable. They have plates and glassware that are more exciting than many other restaurants' actual food. Their paint dessert is a classic. Magical night. Memories forever. And Esmé. Super creative dishes that pushed the comfort zone.
Colorado: Beckon.
Houston: March. Amazing food, gorgeous, quality ingredients, top notch service, smart chef.
Los Angeles: Providence. Somni. Seline by Chef Dave Beran. Somni was insane! Poetry in motion as they served everything with synchronized movements, prettiest food I’d seen in a while, absolutely delicious, top quality ingredients. Most expensive meal in Los Angeles and worth every penny. Holbox was a super happy meal eating in a food court and getting tacos starting at $5 each for lunch. Food served on a tray like a cafeteria. This is the kind of restaurant that I recommend that is affordable to everyone. I’d eat here all the time if I lived in Los Angeles.
New York: I always get back to Three Star places like Le Bernardin, Per Se and Eleven Madison Park. And yes, I do enjoy their vegetables. Jungsik, something magical happened with every dish. Jean-Georges, I love their food.
Miami: When The MICHELIN Guide came out in Florida, I booked every single MICHELIN-Starred restaurant. Elcielo, which we have a location in DC. It's very fun, all about the chef trying to bring you back to your childhood and be playful with food. You wash your hands in chocolate, something they call choco-therapy. Boia De was one of those magical meals with solid prices and casual.
San Diego: Addison. Incredible staff, beautiful location, amazing food.
San Francisco Bay Area: Benu. I've eaten rabbit heads. It's made by one of the world's best chefs – why wouldn't I want to eat it? The crunching of the skull. Cracking into the brains. From my notes, “Looked like fried chicken. The meat was dark, gamey, tasted a bit like fried chicken.” The opening round of food at SingleThread is always amazing. So many different dishes at once. “Shock and awe” round of food. Hard not to be blown away by that. The Evolution Menu at The French Laundry. Incredible meal. Can’t forget the A5 Wagyu Beef Wellington.
Tampa: Rocca. They had incredible food and put on a great show. Gorgeous, smart ingredients, excellent service. They make fresh mozzarella right in front of you.
Toronto: I was blown away by the entire experience as a whole. An incredible city, a very worldly city. I visited every MICHELIN-Starred restaurant. What I loved most was the variety in cuisines. Just a great diverse food city and quality Star restaurants and plenty of great Bibs too. Alo at the chef’s counter really stood out. Also, Don Alfonso – you go up top, have a nice view of the city and a really fancy tasting menu. Getting a seat for brunch at Edulis was special too, so good and enjoyable. Such a nice couple running the show.
Why did you embark on this journey?
I'm happier in a restaurant than anywhere else. All my problems disappear. It's just me enjoying the food. Time is precious. Our health is precious. You never know what's going to happen. The smile that's on my face will always continue.
Tell us more about your background.
I was born with no fingers on my left hand, and when I was three, I had surgery which gave me two fingers. Being born different, you're able to accept life for what it is. You are who you are, and you make the best with the hand you've been dealt in life, literally.
I'm able to hold my phone with a pop socket handle and maneuver it, so that's one way I've used it to my advantage, to help create videos for social media that have a different look from anyone else.
There's no obstacle I have been able to overcome, and I don't consider myself handicapped in the least bit. Nothing stands in my way in life. I've really just been smiling since I was a baby. You smile to the world, the world smiles back.
How do you maintain a healthy and balanced diet?
The key is constant walking and drinking water. I hit the gym pretty much every day. I only drink sparkling water. I probably averaged walking eight miles a day for the last eight years.
How do you afford everything?
I pay for all my meals. I generally will tip extra. I've never asked for a free meal. Everyone expects me to be making a ton of money, but I’ve never made money from a restaurant.
Having never been married and having no kids, I've saved up some money. I've been a very lucky guy who's worked hard. I'm very lucky to have all the time to be able to do this. Nobody realizes how much time goes into this. Three to five hours per meal, plus I walk two or three hours a day to stay in shape, and producing these videos takes hours on end every day.
Does it ever start feeling like work to you?
I'm not paid by restaurants, so there is no pressure on me to put anything out.
It's a lot of work, but I love doing it. I have 44TB of video and photographs on dozens of hard drives. It's insane how much I record. I like to record multiple bites of every course, the drop offs, the narration from the server.
I've spent over 30 years in the content creation business. I'm just applying that to the restaurants these days. I've answered tens of thousands of comments, saying positive things. I take great pride in knowing that families can watch with kids.
I walk out of the restaurant with a big smile.
How can others start their MICHELIN Star journey?
Go to The MICHELIN Guide app or online. To get started, just find one MICHELIN-Starred meal, which can [start at] under $100. I get as excited over a $50 lunch as a $450 dinner.
Look at the menu. Do you want to try a tasting menu where it's all in the hands of the chef and enjoy what may come your way? Or find a restaurant that allows for a la carte, meaning you can pick your favorite things?
The MICHELIN Guide is coming to more and more cities at a faster pace than ever: Philadelphia, Boston, and the American South.
You'll realize how much fun it is, and you'll probably dine at a lot more.
What’s next for you?
This is just the beginning. What's next is 2,000 meals, traveling the world and doing more great things.
I've been a one man crew when it comes to all my videos. I record everything myself. I narrate everything myself, and that all happens live in restaurants, no voiceovers and no scripts. There's no retakes. All the editing and posting of videos myself. It's too much for one person to do.
I really need to find a way to monetize, but I don't want to take money from restaurants. One cannot continue to spend as much as I do. I pay for every meal with a [certain] card, wear certain shoes and stay in certain hotels. I'd love to find a bigger sponsor because I'm spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
I'm hoping bigger and better things happen. I have no plans to slow down my eating.
All images courtesy of High Speed Dining’s Joel Haas
