Georgie Head Sous Chef Reilly Brown reacts to Michelin announcement, before promptly getting back to work on Nov. 11, 2024. (Azul Sordo/Staff Photographer)
‘Bittersweet’: Inside Georgie’s kitchen as Michelin made its Texas debut
The Dallas restaurant reached for the stars, but landed on Michelin’s Recommended list.
Update:
The first Michelin Guide for Texas has been revealed. Learn more about the restaurants selected in Dallas, Fort Worth and across the state by following along with our coverage.
On Monday evening, the kitchen staff at Georgie in Knox Henderson orchestrated dinner service with the same practiced discipline and choreography they employ every night. Their hands ran through the motions at their stations, but their minds wandered. While they nestled scallops in chowder emulsion and tweezed microgreens onto plates, they waited, anxiously, to hear if they would receive one of the biggest awards in food — a Michelin star.
“No matter what happens, we’re still going to push forward every day,” said executive sous chef Reilly Brown as he shaved black truffles into thin rounds.
With the restaurant’s executive chef RJ Yoakum at the Michelin awards ceremony in Houston, Brown was in charge of the kitchen. Such pressure, both from leading a kitchen and from waiting for Michelin’s verdict, is a familiar feeling for him. He worked at Michelin-starred restaurants French Laundry and Press in California before joining Georgie just four months ago.
Brown and several others on Georgie’s staff followed 31-year-old Yoakum from California to Dallas in recent months to work with the ambitious and singularly focused chef who took over Georgie’s kitchen last year. Yoakum, who also worked at French Laundry under chef Thomas Keller, is clear about his goals for the restaurant.
“We’re doing this for a reason, not just because we want to get awarded something,” Yoakum said in an interview before the Michelin ceremony commenced. “We’re doing this because we want to be the best.”
As Brown predicted, Georgie’s dining room filled up just as the Michelin event kicked off at 7 p.m. In between plating dishes and pulling tickets for new orders, he caught glimpses of the award announcements from the livestream playing on his phone.
Video: Georgie staff react to Michelin recommendation during dinner service
Georgie Executive Sous Chef Reilly Brown reacts to Michelin announcement, before promptly getting back to work.
The first award of the night, one for exceptional cocktails, went to Julian Shaffer of Rye.
“That’s a Dallas spot,” Brown said, a subtle glint of hope in his voice.
Then came the announcements for Michelin’s Recommended list — restaurants with above-average food but not quite at the star level. Brown spooned consommé into ceramic bowls as the names were rattled off.
“Georgie,” Brown said, glancing at the names on the screen. “Bittersweet.”
Being listed amongst the Recommended restaurants meant a star was not in the cards.
“We have a lot of things to work on for next year,” he said before going back to plating potato churros and caviar. “But it’s great to be mentioned.”
In the restaurant’s private dining room, general manager Jared Giunta sat with his head in his palm as he and some of the restaurant’s front-of-house staff watched the rest of the ceremony play out on an iPad propped up on a wine box. This wasn’t the outcome they hoped for, but they were prepared for it.
“We’ve got another year to work on it,” Giunta said between biting his nails. “I’m very proud of the team right now for even getting here. The goal doesn’t change.”
Hostess Lisa Cerioni brought in glasses of green and yellow Chartreuse as the announcements rolled in for the restaurants that did earn stars, only one of which was in Dallas.
Giunta picked up a glass and raised it above his head.
“Cheers to 2025,” he said.
This story is part of The Dallas Morning News’ coverage of the Michelin Guide Texas. Read more about the restaurant picks in Dallas-Fort Worth and across Texas.
