2025 RUST BELT RISING STARS AWARDS

Even when the rest of the nation has its eyes pointed elsewhere, there’s powerful cooking happening smack-dab in the middle of the country. Back for the first time in almost a decade, we were easily captured by the vibrant culinary communities that breathe life into America’s Rust Belt. Our time on the ground—eating and drinking with the region’s chefs, bartenders, bakers, and sommeliers—was a lesson in humility, grit, and collaboration. But, what was even more exciting was how different each of these cities were from one another. Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Detroit, although bonded through a shared history of industry, each showcase the cultures and traditions that define them in new, innovative ways

Cleveland is more dynamic than ever before with a wider array of global cuisines entering into the mainstream and modern techniques flourishing in the city’s kitchens. Using nostalgia as their hook, Cleveland chefs are surprising diners with familiar dishes reframed by bold flavors and unexpected ingredients. Over in Pittsburgh, the industry is pushing forward with sincerity. Hospitality professionals are representing their cultures, but also serving dishes and drinks that reflect Pittsburgh’s Eastern European heritage, including striking takes on the cherished pierogi. In Michigan, still grinding against negative national stereotypes, Detroiters are serious about looking out for one another. The restaurant industry is setting the standard for community engagement, serving knockout dishes, cocktails, and wines while collaborating with one another and supporting revitalization efforts across the city.

From our point of view, the Rust Belt’s hospitality communities are tied together by their confidence and intentionality. There are food and beverage professionals in these cities who are eager to share their history, cultures, traditions, and flavors with diners and peers. While they are smaller in size, these cities have energy and enthusiasm to spare when it comes to their restaurant communities. All across the Rust Belt, from Pittsburgh to Cleveland to Detroit, there’s room for welcomed growth, new perspectives, and the kinds of people who want to continue to build on the foundation that’s already there.