By Lonny Sweet
The Michelin Guide's latest Florida selections are in, and for Elevate’s culinary team, it was a big week.
Over the past year, we've been quietly, and proudly, building something new: a culinary division representing some of the most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs in the country. Through our acquisition of Sweet Management Group, Elevate now works alongside a roster of James Beard Award winners, Top Chef champions, Iron Chefs, and Michelin-starred culinary artists who are redefining what it means to cook, lead a kitchen, and build a restaurant culture that endures.
The Michelin Guide's latest Florida selections gave us plenty of reason to celebrate. From Miami Beach to Orlando to Palm Beach, our chefs showed up AND showed out. Here's a look at what they've been building.
Jeremy Ford | Michelin Star + Michelin Green Star
When Jeremy Ford won Top Chef Season 13, the culinary world took note. When he opened Stubborn Seed on Washington Avenue in Miami Beach's South of Fifth neighborhood, it became clear he was building something to last. The restaurant earned its first Michelin Star in 2022 and has held it for 5 consecutive years since. In 2025, Stubborn Seed’s recognition carried something extra: a Michelin Green Star, awarded to restaurants that demonstrate outstanding commitment to sustainable gastronomy. This is the 2nd year, they retained this achievement.
The foundation of that sustainability effort is Ford’s Farm, a 5.5-acre organic farm in Homestead that Ford operates himself, growing more than 40 crops, including hibiscus, lemongrass, and tropical produce, which are supplied directly to the kitchen. Composting initiatives cycle food trimmings back into the soil. It's a system as rooted in place as it is in craft.
The restaurant's eight-course tasting menu reflects that same philosophy: vegetable-forward dishes with Japanese influence, built around local ingredients and exacting technique. Ford, a James Beard Award semifinalist, recently opened a second Stubborn Seed location at Resorts World Las Vegas, but Miami Beach remains the original.
Jeremy Ford | Michelin Recommended
Inside PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, The Butcher's Club is Ford's other Florida restaurant, and it presents a different expression of his cooking entirely.
Where Stubborn Seed is a precision tasting menu, The Butcher's Club is a modern steakhouse with mid-century atmosphere: warm gold finishes, black marble tables, and a menu built around wagyu, bison, and USDA Prime Angus. Florida shows up in the details, serving stone crab with dill-dijon emulsion, habanero hot sauce, and potato gratin baked inside a caramelized vidalia onion shell.
The Michelin Guide's Recommended designation adds The Butcher's Club to the short list of standout South Florida tables.
Ryan Ratino | Michelin Star (retained)
Ryan Ratino is behind Washington D.C.'s two-Michelin-starred Jônt and one-Michelin-starred Bresca, the recipient of the Michelin Guide's 2023 Young Chef Award, and a culinary mind defined by rigor, elegance, and relentless curiosity.
Ômo by Jônt, his intimate tasting counter in Winter Park, seats just 16 guests at a time and delivers an experience that blends American and Japanese influences with Florida's exceptional local ingredients. It's a homecoming of sorts: Ratino trained at Orlando's Le Cordon Bleu and cooked in Central Florida early in his career, always dreaming of opening a restaurant near Park Avenue. He made good on that promise. Ômo retained its Michelin Star, and its sommelier, Juan Valencia, was separately recognized with the Michelin Sommelier Award, a rare dual distinction that speaks to the depth of the team Ratino has built.
Ryan Ratino | Michelin Star (retained)
At the Four Seasons Hotel Fort Lauderdale, Chef's Counter at MAASS is Ratino's second Florida Star with a distinct identity from Ômo. Contemporary, seasonal, rooted in South Florida's coastline, MAASS carries Ratino's D.C. flagship standards into a setting uniquely tied to Fort Lauderdale.
Ratino’s two Stars in Florida and two in Washington D.C., cement him as one of the most consequential culinary voices in the country right now.
Michelle Bernstein | Michelin Recommended
Born from the partnership of James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein and world-renowned cantinero Julio Cabrera, Café La Trova is a landmark and experience that transports guests to the golden age of Cuban culture through food, drink, sound, and atmosphere.
Bernstein, a Miami native of Argentine-Jewish descent and a defining figure of the city's culinary identity, brings a contemporary and deeply personal touch to traditional Cuban dishes: lechon with steamed yuca and tangerine mojo, empanadas with hand-cut steak, seared foie gras paired with Spanish French toast, and maduros. Meanwhile, Cabrera's guayabera-clad cantineros "throw" daiquiris through the air while musicians fill the room with live song and trova. Café La Trova was recently named #13 on the North America's 50 Best Bars list and holds its Michelin Recommended status as one of the Guide's standout selections in Miami. It is, simply, one of the most joyful places to eat and drink in America.
The Michelin Guide's continued expansion across Florida (now covering Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach) is a signal that the state's culinary scene has permanently arrived on the world stage. We're proud to represent the chefs who are writing that story.
As Michelin continues to announce more Star recipients, keep an eye out for other Elevate clients who take home this coveted award. Here are the next announcements:
2026 MICHELIN Guide Ceremony — San Diego, CA (June 2026)
MICHELIN Guide Southwest Ceremony — Las Vegas, NV (August 2026)
2026 American South Ceremony — Nashville (October 2026)
Northeast Cities Ceremony (November 2026)
Elevate's culinary practice goes beyond representation. We work alongside our chefs to build brands, develop partnerships, and create cultural moments that make food resonate far beyond the plate. If you're a brand looking to connect with culinary talent or learn more about investing in the Culinary marketing space, we'd love to talk.
Learn more about Elevate’s culinary practice at oneelevate.com/culinary.
