Santa Barbara County added a third Michelin Star awardee to its ranks this week, when Caruso\u2019s at the Rosewood Miramar in Montecito was honored with the culinary world\u2019s most esteemed designation. Bestowed upon a very excited Chef Massimo Falsini during a presentation in Los Angeles on Monday night, the star puts Caruso\u2019s on par with Bell\u2019s in Los Alamos and Sushi by Scratch: Montecito, both of which won their Michelin stars in 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you! We worked so hard!\u201d Falsini exclaimed after donning his honorary white chef\u2019s coat and reaching the Michelin Star stage at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Monday, bringing passionate emotion to an otherwise staged affair. \u201cI love my team. They worked so hard. Thank you so much!\u201d (Read our 2019 feature about the restaurant here.)<\/p>\n
Caruso\u2019s also picked up a Green Star, which designates sustainable operations. The Central Coast added one more awardee as well: The Restaurant at Justin \u2014 located in the remote western hills of Paso Robles wine country aside an inn and vineyards \u2014 won both the Michelin Star and Green Star as well. The Green Star operations at both restaurants are described in detail here, and this is the list of all the 2022 awardees.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe culinary industry is driven by passion, artistry, and creativity with a constant strive for perfection,\u201d said Justin\u2019s Chef Rachel Haggstrom in a press release. \u201cI love watching each day as ingredients cultivate within the garden, steps away from The Restaurant, to then translate to the plate, and finally how that dish not only nourishes the person, but their soul.\u201d She called being awarded for something that she loves to do as \u201ca dream come true, and simply surreal.\u201d<\/p>\n