The Whet Palette Productions Travel Washington D.C.

Tears, Triumphs & a New Northeast: Inside the MICHELIN Guide’s 2025 Reset

In the grand hall of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia this week, the MICHELIN Guide signaled a shift. With Philadelphia and Boston officially joining the “Northeast Cities” category, and a fresh star system already stirring commentary, this year’s ceremony felt like a pivot point in American dining. A night that surprised with emotion, warmth, and genuine connection.

S4 E58 Florida Chef Spotlight: Ryan Ratino of MAASS, Bresca, Jônt and Ômo by Jônt

Chef Ryan Ratino began his culinary journey in Florida while attending Orlando’s Le Cordon Bleu in 2009.

Life has come full circle. Not only does he own D.C.’s One Michelin-starred Bresca and Two Michelin-starred JÔN, but he is now back in Florida. MAASS (Fort Lauderdale) and Ômo by Jônt (Orlando) join the Hive Hospitality portfolio.

We discuss it all in this episode.

EXCLUSIVE: 2024 MICHELIN Guide Ceremony for New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

Who: The MICHELIN Guide What: Ceremony for New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. When: December 9th, 2024 Where: The Glasshouse, New York, N.Y. For the second consecutive year, The MICHELIN Guide brought culinary cachet to the Big Apple in an exclusive combined ceremony spanning three cities —New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. As a dedicated MICHELIN dining enthusiast, I packed my heaviest coats and […]

2023 MICHELIN Guide Ceremony for New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

Who: The MICHELIN Guide What: Ceremony for New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. When: November 7th, 2023 Where: Spring Studios, New York, N.Y. On a cool and crisp Tuesday night, the MICHELIN Guide brought the heat to the Big Apple. For the first time, the awards ceremony combined three cities —New York, Chicago, and Washington, […]

Se Formó, Miami: A Podcast for The Whet Palette

It’s my 9th Blogiversary! And what a ride it has been. So many restaurant reviews, travel posts, and spotlight features.

To celebrate, I am kicking off a new way to follow all things The Whet Palette: a podcast!

Here is the scoop…

Top Michelin-Starred Bites of 2019

Love or love to hate the Michelin Guide? I, for one, continue to find their star system valuable. It doesn’t necessarily mean I agree with all the ratings, but I’ve experienced more hits than misses while following its star system.

My travels this year brought me to many new and tried and true starred restaurants. I’ve continued to think and talk about these bites long after I returned home.

This is not a list of how these experiences ranked overall, although I will talk about that briefly toward the end. These are the dishes at each spot that captured my full attention. The ones I OMGd through. The unforgettable ones.