MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
We knew it was good, but Texas barbecue just earned a new level of respect. This week, eateries in Austin and Houston earned a coveted Michelin star. I don't know why I didn't get this assignment, but Wynne Davis of member station KUT did and tells us about it.
WYNNE DAVIS, BYLINE: When the Michelin Guide announced that for the first time it was expanding to Texas, it got a lot of attention. There was never a doubt that upscale restaurants featuring multicourse tasting menus would make the list. But the big question was would barbecue, a Texas staple, make the cut?
SAWYER LEWIS: I don't think the community could even fathom the idea that a barbecue restaurant would get a star.
DAVIS: That's Sawyer Lewis, co-owner of LeRoy and Lewis in Austin, one of four barbecue restaurants awarded a prestigious Michelin star.
JORDAN BLOSSOM: I mean, there's almost nothing left on my plate now. I got the beef cheeks, the hop sausage, the kale Caesar and the Frito pie.
DAVIS: Customer Jordan Blossom (ph) is a regular here at LeRoy and Lewis. Blossom says he's taken friends and family here for years. He's excited that they can say they loved this barbecue even before it won a Michelin star.
BLOSSOM: The beef cheeks and the hop sausage are just, like, kind of what I first loved when LeRoy and Lewis opened up. And these two sides are just my favorite sides. You feel like you don't have to take a nap after you have, like, a kale Caesar as a side for barbecue.
DAVIS: In Texas, there is no shortage of places to go for melt-in-your-mouth brisket, world-class ribs and tasty sausage. So what makes these restaurants stand out?
JOHN BATES: For us, it's really important to push the food beyond that core trinity.
DAVIS: That's Chef John Bates of InterStellar BBQ in Austin, another restaurant that won a Michelin star.
BATES: We like to introduce new techniques, new flavors, things like pork belly, adding sauces like chimichurri, wacky sausages. You know, we cook duck confit on Fridays. We try to expand the possibilities of Texas barbecue.
DAVIS: These restaurants are not going to feature white tablecloths, and eating barbecue can get messy. But that's part of the magic. As for what comes next, Lewis, Bates and the other winning barbecue spots say they plan to stay focused on what works while continuing to push the boundaries of barbecue.
For NPR News, I'm Wynne Davis in Austin.
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