The launch of Michelin’s Southeastern regional guide means restaurants in Nashville and other previously unrecognized cities could bring home Michelin stars or Bib Gourmands.
What is a Michelin star? What it means for restaurants
Here’s a brief intro to the Michelin star, the highest award of culinary excellence a restaurant could ever receive.
Kara VanDooijeweert and Michael V. Pettigano, NorthJersey.com
The Michelin Guide is expanding to the American Southeast, making regional restaurants eligible for its coveted stars.An announcement ceremony will be livestreamed from Greenville, South Carolina, to reveal the new Michelin-recognized restaurants.The guide will now explore diverse culinary traditions beyond major cities, including Low Country, Cajun, and Creole cuisines.Nashville restaurants are among the contenders for Michelin honors, though no details have been confirmed.
The Michelin Guide announced earlier this year something that feels long overdue: a new focus on the food of the American South and the chefs who define its cuisine.
The debut Michelin Guide of the Southeastern region of the U.S. officially launches in a Nov. 3 ceremony in Greenville, South Carolina, marking a history-making moment for the region’s restaurants and chefs.
With the launch of the guide, those regional restaurants will now be eligible for Michelin Stars, among the most coveted signifiers of culinary excellence in the world. Only Atlanta was previously eligible for stars in the south, following the launch of its own guide in 2023.
An invitation-only announcement launch ceremony will take place at 7:15 p.m. at the Peace Center Concert Hall in Greenville, South Carolina, with the event livestreamed at youtube.com/user/MichelinRestaurants.
Peninsula — where chef and owner Jake Howell was named this year’s Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation — is among the Nashville restaurants sending representatives to Greenville for Monday’s ceremony, said co-owner Yuriko Say.
“When we moved to Nashville almost a decade ago, it certainly never occurred to us to even dream of this as a possibility,” she said. “Historically, there have been so many American cities excluded from Michelin recognition.”
The prospect of being in the company of the world’s finest restaurants is both overwhelming and humbling, she added.
“Michelin coming to Nashville is such an important moment, and to experience it as part of this restaurant community and this city is truly special,” she said. “When we first opened Peninsula, it was a bit of a struggle — we were pretty far outside a lot of guests’ comfort zones. One of our early negative Yelp reviews literally said, ‘Who do you think you are? This is Nashville.’ Well, yessir, this is Nashville.”
During the ceremony, chefs will discover whether their restaurants have received a Michelin Star or another Michelin Guide distinction, such as Bib Gourmand, which recognizes more affordable restaurant experiences.
The Michelin tire company first launched the Guide in the early 20th century as a resource for French motorists with the sole aim of encouraging road travel and boosting tire sales. The Michelin Guide has since evolved into a global assessment of excellence in hospitality.
Now that it’s taking a regional approach, the guide will venture beyond urban cities to better uncover the distinct food cultures of the Southeast.
That means there could be new honors coming for the food of the Low Country, influenced by Gullah-Geechie traditions. There could be Michelin accolades coming for the coastal cuisine of Alabama, the Cajun and Creole dishes of Louisiana, barbecue in the Carolinas, or for Tennessee, where Nashville’s culinary star is booming.
One of the restaurant groups behind that boom is the local restaurant group Strategic Hospitality, led by brothers Benjamin and Max Goldberg and Josh Habinger.
Under the group’s umbrella are some of the city’s top restaurants, including Kisser, Bastion, Henrietta Red, Locust, The Catbird Seat and others.
In a joint statement, the Goldbergs said the inclusion of Tennessee, and Nashville in particular, in the Michelin Guide marks a milestone moment.
“It feels like a long time coming for a city that’s home to so many passionate, driven chefs and remarkable restaurants that have helped put our restaurant community on the map,” they said. “At Strategic Hospitality, we’ve spent nearly two decades building spaces that reflect the creativity, community, and kindness that make Nashville so special.
To now have the opportunity for our restaurants and teams to be considered on such a prestigious global stage is both humbling and exciting. It’s a testament to how far Nashville has come, and where it’s headed next.”
Will Nashville restaurants secure Michelin Stars?
Some Nashville restaurants have been invited to the event, where the winners will be announced.
Michelin External Communications Specialist Carly Grieff said she could not speculate on Nashville restaurants’ chances to bring home stars.
“We unfortunately aren’t able to disclose any selection details ahead of the ceremony, or particular chances for awards, etc.,” she said.
The James Beard Foundation’s nods may provide some insight into top Michelin contenders. Those include Peninsula, International Market, Kisser, Noko and Locust, which was also recently honored as one of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Yolan’s head chef Tony Mantuano has led Michelin-starred restaurants outside of Nashville, and it’s the same with French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who is behind Drusie and Darr in the Hermitage Hotel, and Michael Mina of Bourbon Steak.
Other top-tier Nashville-area dining experiences that could be considered strong contenders include The Catbird Seat, January at Southall Farm and Inn in Franklin, Bastion and Kase X Noko.
What are Michelin Stars?
The Michelin Guide includes only restaurants that display culinary excellence by these criteria: quality products, harmony of flavors, mastery of cooking techniques, the voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine and consistency between each visit and throughout the menu.
Stars demonstrate mastery of the criteria. One star means a restaurant is worth a stop. Two stars mean a restaurant is worth a detour. Three stars, the company’s highest award, recognize superlative cooking and a destination-worthy restaurant.
What is the Bib Gourmand?
Another Michelin distinction is the Bib Gourmand, which honors excellent, affordable meals beyond the standard Michelin-starred options. It distinguishes restaurants that prove that great food doesn’t have to come with a high price tag.
In Nashville, that could mean recognition for restaurants such as Arnold’s Country Kitchen and any number of local hot chicken restaurants.
But who will land Michelin’s coveted recognition remains to be seen.
Mackensy Lunsford is the senior dining reporter and critic at The Tennessean. Reach her at mlunsford@tennessean.com.
Dining and Cooking