TAMPA, Fla. — It’s a huge deal in the restaurant industry: being recognized by the Michelin Guide. A few more restaurants in Tampa landed on that list.
Inside Streetlight Taco in Tampa on any given afternoon, you'll find people sitting elbow to elbow waiting to take a bite of something tasty.
“I've always been passionate about Mexican food and the people and the culture, and I had a great opportunity to kind of live my dream,” said Michael Brannock, the chef and partner at Streetlight Taco.
Streetlight Taco just opened in January this year, and within months of opening, the restaurant was awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide.
"To get the Bib Gourmand, it's still soaking in honestly because it's a huge honor, a really high bar that we like to continue to achieve every day,” said Brannock.
A Bib Gourmand distinction recognizes great food at a great value.
It's just adding to Tampa's top tier food scene, which now has five one-star restaurants in the Michelin Guide.
Ebbe, a contemporary restaurant, and Kosen, which features Japanese cuisine, both earned one star during a ceremony on Thursday, joining restaurants Lilac, Koya, and Rocca that had already received one star.
Streetlight Taco is among three other restaurants with a Bib Gourmand distinction, along with Rooster and the Till, Gorkhali Kitchen, and Psomi.
"The Tampa Bay food scene has been surging as of late, the past five, ten years of course, and I'm just happy to be part of that to help raise the bar for restaurants in Tampa, and as people visit that they have top notch and top standard restaurants to visit,” said Brannock.
Santiago Corrada, Visit Tampa Bay's President and CEO, said people want to come to a destination that has an elevated food scene, pointing out how the guide can draw people to the area.
"There are individuals that will not dine outside of Michelin-recommended restaurants,” said Corrada. “There are people who travel to check them off the list, you know, oh there are five starred restaurants in Tampa, I've got to hit all five, so I'm going to go to Tampa to finish out my list."
Whether through the recognition or word of mouth, it's validation that the hard work is paying off.
"Just see those repeat customers, we know we're on a good path for sure,” said Brannock.
