The ranking, which was recently released by Wander, a luxury vacation home rental service, "analyzed various premium factors including Michelin Guide restaurants, five-star spas, luxury yacht marinas and golf courses to reveal the best states for a luxurious break," according to the announcement.
Not surprisingly, New York tops the restaurant category, since it has more Michelin Guide restaurants per capita than any other state, with 1.94 per 100,000 people. The state also has the second-highest number of Michelin Guide restaurants, with 337 in total.
California ranks second (although it has more Michelin Guide restaurants, the state also has a larger population than New York), and Illinois third.
Colorado places a respectable fourth: The state has 46 Michelin Guide restaurants, which puts it at 0.78 per capita.
Florida, with 150 Michelin Guide restaurants, takes fifth at 0.65 per capita.
When did Colorado get a Michelin Guide?
Until 2023, Colorado didn't have a Michelin Guide. This state became the eighth region to get one — joining New York, Chicago, California, Miami/Orlando/Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington, D.C. (Atlanta has since been added.)At the September 2023 Michelin announcement ceremony, five Colorado restaurants received one star: Beckon, Frasca Food and Wine, Brutø, Bosq and the Wolf's Tailor. Four restaurants received green stars celebrating their sustainable practices. Michelin also released a list of recommended restaurants; it had already announced nine Bib Gourmand restaurants.
Last September, Michelin announced an addition to the starred restaurants: Alma Fonda Fina. The other five all retained their star.
In ranking the states, Wander included the other Michelin honors, bringing Colorado to 46.
What about states that don't have Michelin Guides?
"For this factor, the states that didn't have Michelin Guide restaurants were given a zero in the weighting for this ranking, which lowered their overall score compared with those that did have Michelin Guide restaurants," explains spokeswoman Polly Percival.Chew on that when you consider Colorado's status as a foodie mecca.
