Miami Herald flags Ecuadorian chef candidate

Miami restaurant Cotoa has entered the conversation around Florida’s next Michelin stars before this week’s statewide announcement. Expreso reported on May 23 that the Miami Herald had singled out the restaurant, run by Ecuadorian chef Alejandra Espinoza, as one of the Florida candidates to watch ahead of Michelin’s May 28 reveal. Michelin has not published a winners list yet. The guide has confirmed only that its Florida 2026 ceremony will be streamed live on May 28 at 2 p.m. EST. ### Which restaurant is being discussed? Cotoa is a Miami restaurant led by chef Alejandra Espinoza and centered on Ecuadorian flavors. Michelin’s own restaurant page for Cotoa describes it as a Miami spot where “Ecuador is at the heart” of the menu and lists dishes including cassava muchines, mahi mahi with coconut, ginger and peanut, and tortellini con seco de pollo. (expreso.ec) Expreso said Cotoa opened in Miami on May 22, 2024, as an expansion of Somos, the Quito project tied to Espinoza. The report said the restaurant is now being discussed as a possible new Michelin star recipient in Florida. ### Why is Michelin already relevant to Cotoa? Michelin has already included Cotoa in its Florida guide, which means the restaurant is on inspectors’ radar even before any possible star award. (guide.michelin.com) A January 2025 report from Vistazo said Cotoa became the first Ecuadorian restaurant in the United States to be included in the Michelin Guide, and Primicias separately reported that the restaurant had entered Michelin’s Florida guide that year. (expreso.ec) Michelin’s current listing for Cotoa places it in Miami at 12475 N.E. 6th Ct. and categorizes it as a “Favorite” in the guide rather than as a starred restaurant. That distinction matters this week because inclusion in the guide does not itself mean a star has been awarded. ### What exactly did the Miami Herald report? Expreso attributed the latest attention to the Miami Herald, saying the newspaper included Cotoa among the restaurants with the strongest chances of winning a Michelin star in Florida this year. (vistazo.com) Because Miami Herald pages were not directly accessible in web results, the available confirmation comes through Expreso’s account of the Herald item and through Michelin’s own listing showing the restaurant is already in the guide. (guide.michelin.com) Miami Herald’s restaurant pages show ongoing Florida food coverage, but the specific contender article was not directly retrievable from searchable snippets. The core reported fact that can be verified is that Expreso named the Herald as the outlet that flagged Cotoa ahead of the Michelin announcement. ### What is happening with Michelin in Florida this year? (expreso.ec) Michelin said this year’s Florida guide will cover the entire state. The guide said Florida coverage began with Greater Miami, Orlando and Tampa, expanded in 2025 to Greater Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater, and is now statewide for 2026. (miamiherald.com) Miami New Times reported earlier that Michelin moved the Florida 2026 release from April 14 to Thursday, May 28, and shifted to a digital-first announcement instead of an in-person ceremony. Michelin’s own ceremony page now says the reveal will be livestreamed May 28. ### What should readers watch for on May 28? (guide.michelin.com) May 28 is the date when Michelin will publish Florida’s 2026 selections and any new stars. Michelin said the ceremony livestream begins at 2 p.m. EST, and that event is where confirmation would come for Cotoa, Alejandra Espinoza and the rest of Florida’s contenders. (guide.michelin.com) (miaminewtimes.com)