Unexpected Michelin Restaurants Across the South/In Your Backyard
Words by Christine VanDyk
Photos courtesy of Jason Risner, Ann Compisitions, La Camaronera, Toki Underground
Every day at lunchtime, hungry diners crowd into a small, family-run restaurant in the Calle Ocho neighborhood of Miami. For generations, they’ve frequented this Little Havana mainstay, which was founded by Cuban fishermen. However, despite the local following, it’s an easy place for outsiders to overlook. Located in a strip mall between a bodega and a wireless cellphone store, it’s the type of place you might be tempted to skip, but you’d be wrong. Unknown to most, La Camaronera Seafood Joint & Fish Market has been recommended in the Michelin Guide.
There are no white tablecloths or servers in tuxedo jackets in this small seafood market, just corvina sandwiches and steaming cups of grouper soup. While the restaurant has yet to secure the coveted Michelin star or the Michelin Guide’s alternative Bib Gourmand distinction, La Camaronera’s inclusion in the “recommended” section of Michelin’s famous red book means you‘ll be treated to a great meal that shouldn’t be missed.
On a recent trip to Miami, I went in search of this local seafood market, and it did not disappoint. I began thinking, “What other unlikely eateries are written in the (Michelin) stars?”
From a butcher shop in Orlando to a soul food restaurant in Atlanta, Michelin Guide-recognized restaurants are more than white tablecloths and fine silver. In fact, sometimes they look a lot like places you visit on an ordinary Friday night.
To understand how impressive any Michelin designation is, it’s best to start from the beginning: what it is, how it came to be, and all the variations.
A Michelin award is the dream of any chef. However, the prestigious rating is actually the doing of a tire company that still sells all-season radials. It began in 1900 when the company produced a guidebook. In an attempt to get French drivers to spend more time on the road and, therefore, more money on tires, the guidebook provided motorists with a convenient list of stops and destinations, including restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and mechanics. Soon, anonymous reviewers were sampling culinary cuisine and handing out stars to denote a restaurant’s quality, mastery of technique, food personality, and consistency. Restaurants could earn between one and three stars, with three stars being the most prestigious.
From a butcher shop in Orlando to a soul food restaurant in Atlanta, Michelin Guide-recognized restaurants are more than white tablecloths and fine silver.
By 1955, Michelin recognized a need to herald not only the lofty (and often pricey) fine dining restaurants but also those serving high-quality fare at moderate prices. For the latter, Michelin established the Bib Gourmand as an alternative to its standard three-star system. Since then, many unlikely restaurants have found their success written in the (Michelin) stars after first receiving a Bib Gourmand.
Despite the Michelin Guide’s iconic reputation, you may not know about its other designations. Michelin’s green star is a standalone award that recognizes eateries at the forefront of sustainable gastronomy. Green stars can be awarded to any restaurant in the Michelin Guide, regardless of whether it has received a standard Michelin star or a Bib Gourmand.
Meanwhile, the guidebook’s “recommended” designation celebrates restaurants that serve good, well-cooked meals and use high-quality ingredients but that are not quite at the level of a Michelin-starred restaurant or Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurant. Like those that receive standard Michelin stars, green stars, or Bib Gourmands, “recommended” restaurants are still included in the Michelin Guide but often fly under the radar, as they’ve yet to receive a star or award.
Thanks to the variety of categories now available, the Michelin Guide recognizes a diverse food landscape, from street food stalls in Bangkok to food trucks in Honolulu. Whether it’s an ordinary date night or a restaurant so special it’s the very reason for your next trip, any Michelin Guide restaurant is a sure bet.
To begin your Michelin journey, we recommend starting with these Bib Gourmand standouts right here in the South:
• The Busy Bee, Atlanta, Georgia — This Southern soul food institution once served Martin Luther King Jr. and is best known for its meat-and-three menu, which features the crispiest fried chicken and a host of mouth-watering sides.
• Toki Underground, Washington, D.C. — Up the stairs, not down them, you’ll find an interior plastered with stickers and quirky holiday lights. Diners crave the fried chicken, steamed buns, pork dumplings, and enoki mushrooms. However, the main attractions are the five types of ramen bowls.
• Cuantos Tacos, Austin, Texas — This east-Austin food truck is known for long lines and tacos prepared the traditional Mexican City way, with Aztec cooking methods and Spanish influences. Folks at this Texas eatery swear by the mouth-watering brisket tacos and wafer-thin masa tortillas.
• The Jerk Shack, San Antonio, Texas — The Jerk Shack is a family-run joint serving elevated jerk chicken, jackfruit tacos, and cauliflower curry. Everything is good, but make sure to save room for the bread pudding made with pancake batter, warm peaches, and rum-caramel sauce.
• Goldee’s, Fort Worth, Texas — Goldee’s serves otherworldly brisket in a state full of good barbecue. Open just a few days a week, it’s beloved for premium Black Angus beef, cooked low and slow. You’ll need nothing more than two slices of white bread to soak up the sweet mustard sauce.
• Swine & Sons, Orlando, Florida — Chock-full of industrial vibes and a come-all atmosphere, the small menu packs a punch with recipes highlighting Southern cooking and global flavors. Try the Thai-style fried chicken sandwich or a New England-style shrimp roll.
A Michelin award is the dream of any chef.
Michelin Heads South
Currently, the Michelin Guide reviews a handful of southern locations, but that’s about to change. This November, Michelin will launch its American South Edition covering Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. These destinations are in addition to the guides for Texas, Florida, Atlanta, and the D.C. area. The new guide will feature fine dining “stars,” Bib Gourmand standouts, green-star eateries, and “recommended” restaurants, ensuring the Southern food scene gets the recognition it deserves.
