In the latest episode of the Philly Mag Today podcast, food editor Kae Lani Palmisano and critic Jason Sheehan discuss the controversies surrounding the Michelin Guide.
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The Michelin Man at the Michelin Guide Ceremony held at the Kimmel Center on November 18, 2025 / Photograph courtesy of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau
Philly Mag Today: Why the Michelin Guide Isn’t a Threat to Philly’s Food Scene
The Michelin Guide is officially part of Philadelphia’s dining landscape, and just like many of you, we have a lot of opinions. In the latest episode of our new podcast, Philly Mag Today, food editor Kae Lani Palmisano sits down with restaurant critic Jason Sheehan to talk about the latest controversies swirling around—which restaurants made the list, whether or not the guide fairly represents our diverse food scene, and, of course, cheesesteaks.
The crux of this conversation is Palmisano’s op-ed “The Michelin Guide is a Good Thing for Philly … and the World.” Ever since Michelin announced they were coming to Philly back in May, many were concerned that the guide’s presence would alter our food scene’s identity. As Palmisano asks in her essay, “Would our scrappy, no-one-likes-us-we-don’t-care attitude dissolve into a banal pool of monotone flavors as restaurants seeking stars try to fit in the Michelin mold?”
Listen to Philly Mag Today to hear more about our opinions on the impact the world’s most prestigious restaurant awards will have on Philadelphia. And be sure to subscribe to Philly Mag Today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. We’ll be sharing stories that reveal some sliver of life in our city today, whether that’s insightful commentary on the latest news, fresh takes on what’s happening in the food scene, profiles of the people shaping the way we live, or just the best reads Philadelphia magazine has to offer.