Nine Colorado restaurants have joined a prestigious class.

As revealed Tuesday, the state has its first Bib Gourmand selections for its inaugural Michelin Guide — the French-rooted tradition highlighting the finest eats for world travelers.

It was previously announced Michelin would be adding Colorado to its short list of North American guides, joining California, Florida, New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Anonymous Michelin inspectors reportedly fanned out across Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Vail and Beaver Creek Resort in search of the very best.

The first picks are in — representing “an appetizer to whet the state’s appetite for the full-selection smorgasbord,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said in the announcement.

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