Set the Table, Y’all—Michelin’s Here
Words by Jennifer Kornegay
Photos by Marc Patrick
If you live in the South, you know how tasty it is here. From barbecue joints and diners to fancy white tablecloth spots and everything in between, our region is filled with delicious food. Now, the MICHELIN Guide—the global standard bearer for good eats — has sprinkled some of its sought-after stars and other accolades on chefs and restaurants in the American South.
During a ceremony at the Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina, on Monday evening, the first-ever MICHELIN Guide selections for cities around the region were announced. In total, 228 restaurants spanning 44 cuisine styles in Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Atlanta were recognized, with Emeril’s in New Orleans leading the pack by garnering two stars. Two other New Orleans spots — Saint-Germain and Zasu —received one star, and MICHELIN named Emeril’s chef E.J. Lagasse (son of beloved chef and the restaurant’s namesake Emeril Lagasse) Young Chef of the Year, making the Big Easy the big winner of the night. All the restaurants announced yesterday join selections in Atlanta that were announced earlier.
Three Charleston, South Carolina, eateries earned one star; Scoundrel in Greenville, South Carolina (MICHELIN Guide’s U.S. headquarters and the event’s host city), snagged one star, as did spots in Nashville and Charlotte, North Carolina. And Queen of Southern hospitality, Pardis Stitt, received the MICHELIN Outstanding Service Award for the warm welcome always on offer at Birmingham’s Bottega.
Fifty restaurants got Bib Gourmand nods, which are given to restaurants providing great food at great value. Culinary heavyweights like Nashville, New Orleans, and Atlanta dominated the Bib list, but Alabama made a strong showing too, with Birmingham restaurants Bayonet, Pizza Grace, Ovenbird, and La Fete on the list alongside Mobile’s Noble South. Mississippi showed up as well, with two spots on the list.
Rounding out the honors, the Recommended list includes institutions like Ajax Diner in Oxford, Mississippi, Easy Bistro in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and newcomers like Judith, a standout spot nestled in little Sewanee, Tennessee.
“To be included in this first guide and to represent Sewanee is so incredibly exciting,” says Judith’s chef and owner, Julia Sullivan.
Other small towns got their due, too. Fifteen Asheville, North Carolina, restaurants were recognized by the Guide, and the accolades taste especially sweet as the city continues its comeback following the devastation of Hurricane Helene last fall. “I love seeing all of these Southern states and cities included in the guide, but we’re really thrilled for Asheville,” says chef Katie Button, whose restaurant Cúrate Bar de Tapas in Asheville made the Recommended list. “I think we stand out for a city of our size. Lots of people know we’re a great food city, but I’m glad to see that MICHELIN agrees.”
At afterparties around the city, chefs celebrated, and while they threw out words like “stoked,” “grateful,” “honored,” and even a few “holy cows!” to express their emotions, many shifted the spotlight to their teams, their colleagues, and their communities. “We’re just so proud of all the great people we have working for us,” says chef and owner of Biloxi, Mississippi’s White Pillars, and Gulfport, Mississippi’s Siren Social Club, Austin Sumrall. Both of his restaurants are on the Recommended list. “And I’m really proud of the state of Mississippi to have multiple spots getting recognition.”
Chef Mason Hereford, the mad genius behind New Orleans’ Turkey and the Wolf and Hungry Eyes, which made the Bib Gourmand list, and Molly’s Rise and Shine, which received Recommended status, joked but credited his team.
Continuing to only work with people smarter and more talented than me is really starting to pay off this year,” he says.
According to Birmingham chef Chris Hastings of Ovenbird and Hot & Hot Fish Club, the MICHELIN Guide American South selections will pay off for everyone with beneficial ripple effects extending beyond the individual chefs and restaurants. “Every one of the chefs recognized will work to get to the next level, and that will elevate the culinary culture across the region,” he says.
The selection process relies on feedback from MICHELIN’s full-time inspectors, who visit restaurants anonymously, pay their own bills, and judge their dining experiences using criteria defined by MICHELIN: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. “Our instructors train for two to three years to be qualified, and different inspectors make multiple visits to the restaurants throughout the year,” says Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “It’s a true boots-on-the-ground approach.”
Whether establishments earned stars, Bib Gourmand, or Recommended designations, achieving a spot in the MICHELIN Guide often proves game-changing for a restaurant, with visitors from around the world relying on the trusted Guide to make dining choices when traveling.
Poullennec elaborated on the value of the Guide’s recognition.
“Today more than ever, people are traveling for food, and the Guide is the first reference for people worldwide looking for restaurant advice,” he says, “so being included can be life-changing for a chef and their staff, but also for the restaurant’s city. It puts it on the world culinary map and highlights the local culinary culture in a meaningful way too.”
