Michelin Guide announces first-ever American South selection
10 restaurants bagged a Michelin star in The Michelin Guide’s first-ever selection for the American South, announced at the Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina yesterday (3 November). Emeril Lagasse’s flagship restaurant in New Orleans was the only one to score two stars.
Yesterday evening, the Michelin Guide announced its first selection for the American South, with 10 restaurants earning a Michelin star, and one gaining two.
The full selection was revealed at a ceremony at the Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina.
Creolan restaurant Emeril’s in New Orleans was the only venue to bag a prestigious two Michelin stars, with chef Emeril Lagasse at the helm since 1990.
50 Bib Gourmands, and four special awards, were also revealed at the event. Overall, 228 restaurants were recognised, spanning 44 cuisines.
Culinary prowess
“The cuisine of the American South is a rich blend of cultural influences, brought to life by skilled chefs who have crafted some of the region’s most iconic dishes,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide.
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“Our anonymous inspectors were deeply impressed by the region’s culinary prowess, and this inaugural selection reflects their findings – from Southern staples like barbecue, Creole and seafood, to international flavours. We welcome these restaurants to the Michelin Guide family and toast to all the chef and restaurant teams honoured tonight.”
The 2025 American South selection includes the pre-existing Atlanta restaurant selection as a part of this first regional edition in North America. Atlanta welcomed seven new Recommended restaurants this year.
Returning one-star spots in Atlanta include Bacchanalia, Atlas, Hayakawa, Omakase Table, Spring, O by Brush, Lazy Betty and Mujō.
Wine in the works
It’s been a big month for the Michelin Guide, which recently announced plans to launch a global wine-ranking system as part of its latest push beyond restaurants and hotels, in what chairman Florent Menegaux described as a mission to “conquer the world”.
Michelin, owned by the French tyre company, already controls The Wine Advocate, the publication founded by the American critic Robert Parker, often referred to as the “Pope of Wine”. For years, Parker’s maximum score of 100 was considered the ultimate mark of quality, particularly in Bordeaux, where producers altered their styles to match his preference for full-bodied, high-alcohol reds.
But Menegaux told The Times that the Michelin Guide’s wine ranking would be “more influential than Parker’s”, claiming: “The Michelin brand is much more powerful.”
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