Gowanus Eatery Earns Neighborhood's First Michelin Star

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN — A Gowanus Mexican restaurant earned one of the world's highest culinary honors this week when it won a Michelin star.

Claro, an intimate Oaxacan eatery at 284 Third Ave., will be included in the 2019 Michelin guide to New York City, Michelin announced on Nov. 6.

"Reeling from today!" Claro owners wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday. "Thank you @michelinguide for this honor."

Claro is one of 19 New York City restaurants to be added to the 2019 Michelin guide, bringing the total from 72 in 2018 to 76.

In Brooklyn, seven restaurants — Oxomoco, Faro, The Finch, Peter Luger, The River Café, Meadowsweet and Claro — received one star and two restaurants — Aska and Blanca — received two stars.

Claro is the brainchild of chef T.J. Steele and restaurateur J.T. Stewart, who teamed up in 2017 to open the Gowanus eatery in 2017, according to the restaurant website.

The menu centers around tortillas made in-house with Oaxacan heirloom corn, as well as homemade cheeses, chorizo and mole.

“I hope that it brings more people out to Gowanus to try our food,” Claro chef T.J. Steele told the Wall Street Journal, "and lets people know that they can follow their dreams out here."

Photos courtesy of Claro