Austin women Michelin Star restaurant winners, Sawyer Lewis and Amanda Turner, on taking up space in a male-dominated industry.
By Ruvani de Silva
Michelin’s arrival in Texas has been huge news for the state’s culinary scene, and with an impressive 15 restaurants receiving one star ratings and two with green star ratings, Texas food is finally making its mark in the international sphere. However, with all the excitement surrounding the announcements, little attention has been paid to the fact that, as of 2022, just 6% of all Michelin-starred restaurants were led by women, and just a handful of women of color have achieved Michelin stars. While there’s no denying that this is hugely problematic, it highlights the enormous achievement of the Texas women who have won this year, including la Barbecue’s Ali Clem in Austin and Mixtli San Antonio’s Hailey Pruitt and Lauren Beckman.
Two women who have broken the glass ceiling, excelling in their respective fields and taking key roles in putting Austin and Texas on the Michelin map are LeRoy and Lewis Owner and Co-Founder, Sawyer Lewis, and Olamaie Chef de Cuisine, Amanda Turner. Both have had long and distinguished careers in hospitality, bringing their talents to some of Austin’s best-known restaurants, and have now achieved this career-defining accolade.
Photo Courtesy of Colin Findlay
Amanda Turner, Chef de Cuisine, Olamaie
With a background that includes Uchi, Uchiko, Juniper, Odd Duck, Jester King and Tatsu-Ya, Turner brought her wealth of experience to Olamaie in 2021 when they reopened post-Covid. Turner used her expertise to craft a thoughtful and imaginative menu of upscale Southern cuisine that won multiple honors; including James Beard semifinalist for Emerging Chef in 2022, Rising Star Chef for Star Chefs in 2023 and Tastemaker Chef of the Year for 2023. Under Turner’s leadership, Olamaie is now the first recipient of a Michelin star in Southern Cuisine. “I think it’s incredibly validating – the hospitality industry is very difficult so whenever you have these moments of very high recognition it makes you feel like you’re on the right track,” she says.
The win is particularly important to Turner as a woman of color championing the food of the African diaspora. “Cooking food that has been looked down on as ‘poor people’s food’ is important to me and a big part of why I joined Olamaie in the first place,” she says.
Using her skills to reimagine foods that aren’t traditionally considered fine dining, such as catfish is a key element of Turner’s work as a chef. “I want to continue to push the needle on what people see as worthy, and I’m very proud of what I have accomplished.” she says.
Turner shares that she hopes Olamaie’s success will help to open doors for others in this space. She emphasizes the huge role played by the team she has built and the collaborative nature of their work. She also gives credit to Olamaie’s progressive attitude to employee wellness; which she has led from the front.
While being part of the tiny group of women of color who have achieved Michelin stars is “disappointing on a larger scale there aren’t more of us,” she is proud to be on the vanguard of that representation.
Turner considers this win an important one and is happy to continue being a changemaker. “I don’t have many people to look up to in this space, but hopefully my visibility and exposure will make new generations think ‘that could be me and fine dining is not so exclusive.”
Photo courtesy of Jessica Attie
Sawyer Lewis, Owner and Cofounder, LeRoy and Lewis
Lewis channeled her fine dining experience from venues around Texas, including Austin’s Contigo, to start her own business with Pitmaster and Co-Founder, Evan LeRoy, in 2017. The duo opened LeRoy and Lewis as a mobile food truck, finding a home at south Austin’s Cosmic Coffee and Beer Garden. Their exploratory approach to barbecue brings in unusual cuts, such as beef cheek and pulled lamb, plus their focus on local and sustainable sourcing quickly earned them a dedicated following and recognition in recognition lists; including The 20 Best Texas Barbecue Restaurants of a New Generation in 2023’s New York Times. Opening their inaugural brick-and-mortar location earned further plaudits as they spread their culinary wings with new cuts of meat and imaginative sides. Lewis is now owner of one of the first four American barbecue restaurants (all in Texas) to achieve a Michelin star.
For Lewis, the win is a victory for their values. LeRoy and Lewis are committed to presenting barbecue as a method – not a menu –and to serve only ethically sourced local livestock from their partner farms.
“I think [local sourcing]is super powerful,“ says Lewis. “We are serving something grown and raised close to home which is already of very high quality.”
She also emphasizes the creativity LeRoy and Lewis put into their menu. “We aim to be progressive – barbecue is historically very conservative so we want to offer something that feels familiar while also pushing the envelope, barbecue is so much more than a three meat plate.”
Lewis highlights the importance of how dedicated and hard-working her 40-person team is and their crucial role in achieving the star. After moving into casual dining, Lewis didn’t initially see Michelin as an option, but credits her team’s stellar work ethic in their success.
“We strive for excellence every day – to be the best we can be, the strongest team offering the best food and an atmosphere that’s approachable yet magical,” she says.
Lewis also recognizes the impact of the award as proof of what a working mother can achieve, citing work-life balance raising her two-year-old while managing the company as one of the biggest challenges and rewards of her role.
Determination, a willingness to learn and collaborate and a thick skin are Lewis’s key pieces of advice to other women entering the industry.
“Put yourself out there – take up space,” she says. “Being an entrepreneur is wonderful because no one is limiting you –never stop learning and never stop trying to get better every day. Sometimes [as a woman]it feels like you have to work twice as hard for recognition but it can happen, and I’m very grateful.”