The Michelin Guide is retiring its green stars
Last November, Ian Graye received the Michelin Guide's green star, recognizing his restaurant Pietramala's commitment to sustainability. The Michelin Guide is now retiring the designation.
Last November, chef Ian Graye of Pietramala received the coveted Michelin Guide’s green star, a coveted designation that identified restaurants that held sustainable practices.
He was the only Philadelphia chef to have received the award in the Michelin Guide’s inaugural Northeast Cities ceremony. It now appears that he will be the only Philly chef ever to get it.
Michelin announced on May 18 that the green star will be discontinued, in favor of introducing a platform called “Mindful Voices,” to “amplify the commitment of inspirational chefs, hoteliers, and wine producers.”
This new platform will announce highlighted individuals on June 1, in conjunction with the unveiling of a new Nordic guide.
In 2020, Michelin unveiled the green star designation in response to the climate crisis. Chefs like Rob Rubba of Washington D.C.’s Oyster Oyster were given the award in recognition of their ecologically-friendly practices and prioritization of sustainable ingredients in their cooking — typically not a concern in traditional fine dining establishments that strive for Michelin stars.
“The green star has been flawed from the start,” said Graye on Tuesday. . “But I feel that with just a little more effort they could have made it work or slowly improved the criteria rather than giving up. Championing ethical restaurants is worth doing even if it came from a superficial and obligatory place.”
Back in November, The Inquirer interviewed Graye right after he received his green star:
(Off camera, The Inquirer pointed out that the physical green star award was made out of plastic. So maybe the award was always doomed.)
As for how this will affect Graye’s restaurant, he says:
“We’re not a Michelin star restaurant and we’re not striving to be one, so with the end of the green star — the guide and our inclusion in it is personally irrelevant. We were a sustainable, environmentally conscious, seasonal, locally-focused, low waste, ethically-run restaurant with a happy staff before the green star and we will continue to be after."
