The MICHELIN Guide to the American South has launched and it’s full of exciting news. The first regional selection debuts with an impressive roster of Stars, including one Two-Star restaurant in New Orleans that comes with a familiar face, along with two One-Star spots that are worthy of a special stop.
Atlanta has the most MICHELIN-One-Star restaurants of any Southern city, with eight in total. North Carolina surprises with a newly Starred spot in Charlotte, while in South Carolina, one place caught the eye of our Inspectors in Greenville. Historic Charleston never lets the grass grow under its feet, evidenced by three spots that took home One Star. And, in Nashville, it’s not just the music that’s memorable; there are three restaurants joining the One MICHELIN Star ranks.
See who was awarded the prestigious Two and One Stars below, then check out the American South’s full list of Bib Gourmands and recommended restaurants here.
Two StarsLouisiana
New Orleans
Emeril’s
Cuisine: American/Creole
The young E.J. Lagasse, son of the indomitable namesake, now oversees a remarkable dining room that has celebrated Creole cuisine for more than three decades. His determination is palpable as he charts a new course, bringing contemporary refinement and vibrant originality to the fore. BBQ shrimp tarts, deep-flavored gumbo and superb, golden-brown cornbread paired with French butter feel familiar and new at once. This is cooking that bursts with personality and class and never at the cost of flavor. Generously spaced tables and plush banquettes offer direct, unobstructed views into a gleaming kitchen fronted by floor-to-ceiling glass. All the while, a superb service team tends to every detail with warmth and generosity.
Randy Schmidt / Emeril’s
One StarsGeorgia
Atlanta
Atlas
Cuisine: American
When the night calls for a grand celebration, few places fit quite like Atlas. Snuggled inside the posh St. Regis Atlanta, this restaurant is impossibly elegant. Fine art graces the walls—it’s home to The Lewis Collection and its works by Japanese-born painter and printmaker Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita—but it’s not just the artwork that impresses. Order à la carte from this seasonal American menu with European influences or celebrate with the tasting menu for dishes like tender lobster plated with smoked paprika butter sauce and heirloom summer squash, and poached halibut composed with a trio of beet preparations. Wagyu beef from Australia is a decadent end to the savory courses. Impressive cocktails, a cheese cart and whimsical desserts complete the well-rounded experience.
Bacchanalia
Cuisine: American
Dark wood, a black industrial ceiling set with a constellation of Edison bulbs, and brown leather banquettes give Bacchanalia a handsome sophistication, yet there’s nothing too precious about this longstanding spot. The multicourse prix fixe involves a bit of flair, with some dishes arriving on carts or nestled inside glass cloches, and the cheese course is a wonderful surprise. Rather than an expected slice, the team presents a clever take with a crumbly oat date cake and a dot of black garlic sauce surrounded by rings of parmesan. Chilled lobster in a ponzu sauce with bright English peas and horseradish oil is also memorable but it may just be the delicate grapefruit soufflé garnished with spicy pistachio crumble and rose crème anglaise that takes the cake.
Tomas Espinoza / Atlas
Hayakawa
Cuisine: Japanese
Rotating with the seasons and changing weekly, the meal is a procession of small courses and hews toward the structure of kaiseki. After items such as an appetizer trio with clear fish soup, scallop sashimi with miso-mustard sauce and simmered monkfish, it’s time for sushi. The chef crafts nigiri from imported fish that needs little embellishment and is amply sized in the tradition of Hokkaido style in deference to the chef’s hometown.A local legend for his Japanese cuisine on Buford Highway, Chef Atsushi Hayakawa has begun a new chapter in West Midtown. Located in a sparkling office structure, the slick lair hosts a mere handful of diners per seating. His stage is a backdrop of dark-streaked stone and a silken wood counter; and the use of a microphone to banter with guests amplifies Hayakawa’s buoyant personality.
Lazy Betty
Cuisine: Contemporary
Now located in Midtown, Chef Ron Hsu and Chef/co-owner Aaron Phillips oversee a contemporary tasting menu with clever combinations that highlight regional ingredients. The tuna roll is a stunner, made with feuille de brick and filled with lemon, crème fraîche, and wrapped in paper-thin sheets of bluefin tuna. Cod, poached in a ham hock broth, rests atop fava bean and zucchini succotash with a green tomato relish for an especially flavorful plate, while crown-roasted duck with a caramelized miso sauce is another strong savory course. Finished with a blackberry banyuls reduction at the table, it’s a beautiful dish. Lemon panna cotta, surrounded by mint granita and covered with a coconut foam is a refreshing finale.
Hayakawa
Mujō
Cuisine: Japanese
Located in West Midtown, Mujō is an intimate setting with a moody elegance. A U-shaped counter crafted of Southern cypress pops in this square room with dark walls and low lighting. This is the domain of Chef J. Trent Harris and his skilled team who make all feel well cared for. Here, tradition has been replaced with a rollicking good time, where the always-surprising interpretation of omakase begins with an array of zensai like a morsel of Florida cobia grilled over binchotan, dressed with a red miso sauce and some local pattypan squash. After some cooked bites, it’s time for the raw. Nigiri needs little to impress, while supplemental dishes offer the likes of Hokkaido hair crab, tosazu and mozuku. Regulars know dessert isn’t an afterthought; so save room.
O by Brush
Cuisine: Japanese
Brush Sushi is located in a swish shopping center with the likes of Rolex and Dior, but step inside this stylish space to discover O by Brush, a separate omakase counter helmed by Chef Jason Liang. The extensive procession will begin with several starters before moving into nigiri such as beautifully rich shima aji, warayaki sawara that is hay smoked over coals then sliced and filled with rice, and anago tempura temaki finished over binchotan coals. A tasting of dry-aged hirame and kanpachi is a delightful surprise, as is the tamago tasting, featuring the classic style alongside a tender, cake-like version. The wide-ranging sake selection, also available by the glass or carafe, is the perfect complement.
Omakase Table
Cuisine: Japanese
Here at this serious counter-focused setting, find Chef Leonard Yu and his small team presiding over a multicourse experience that leans traditional while offering a nice balance of variety and seasonality. A smattering of otsumami begin the evening on a strong note with shaved wagyu beef lightly poached in sukiyaki sauce with a quail egg. The chef’s signature dish, uni gohan with otoro, is decadent, while corn potage delivers an impressive depth of flavor. Meanwhile, nigiri showcases character without any flash: Kawahagi is topped with flash-frozen liver paste that melts on the tongue, while sharkskin sole with engawa is given a fantastic sear. Finally, Japanese panna cotta finished with fresh strawberries alongside a flavorful musk melon is a light, refreshing finale.
ChingYao Wang / O by Brush
Marietta
Spring
Note: This restaurant is temporarily closed.
Find your way to this small but well-appointed restaurant in Marietta where exposed brick and a vaulted ceiling done in dark wood create an endearing charm. Chef Brian So oversees a tightly edited, contemporary American menu with a strong focus on seasonality. Skillful but simple cooking is the dictum here, where ingredients speak for themselves, and plates are stunning without ever being showy. The house-made sourdough with garlic chive butter is delicious, but don’t fill up, as the pan-seared wild king salmon topped with Hollandaise sauce and trout roe is equally appealing. A maple-glazed cruller with sliced almonds in an amaretto crème anglaise is a bold and distinctive dessert, and the wine list is especially impressive.
Clair Maureen / Spring
LouisianaNew Orleans
Saint-Germain
Cuisine: Contemporary
The old adage about not judging a book by its cover couldn’t be more apt for this little restaurant in Bywater. An unassuming front advertising “natural wines and garden patio” leads to a quaint bar where Chefs Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith start the meal with a few pleasant bites. Once inside the intimate dining room, the contemporary tasting kicks into high gear with a griddled cornbread cake smeared with butter aged and cultured in-house. The combination is outrageously satisfying. A series of petite courses follows, each one showcasing refined sauces and bold flavors. Carolina Gold rice with crab and ginger is a winter-proof knockout. Other hits include squab with creamed greens as well as a warm cheese soufflé bolstered by brûléed sugar.
Zasu
Cuisine: American Contemporary
Chef Sue Zemanick is no stranger to the New Orleans dining scene, having spent time in the kitchens of some of the city’s famed restaurants before opening Zasu in 2019. Set in an easy-to-miss cottage in Mid-City, it’s an elegant oasis with a sleek dining room marked by wood floors, dark green walls and gold tones. The menu is tightly edited, featuring a dozen or so dishes focused on seafood and blending local flavors with French techniques. A scallop shell holds two perfectly seared scallops in a Thai chile-lime butter with watermelon radish for a refreshing opener, while tilefish on a bed of Swiss chard, sweet potatoes and beach mushrooms in a beurre blanc is a satisfying main course. End with something sweet like the warm peach cake with vanilla yogurt sauce.
Kat Kimball / Zasu
North Carolina Charlotte
Counter
Cuisine: Contemporary
To say that Counter is an outlier in the Charlotte dining scene risks understatement: this ambitious, mercurial project from Chef Sam Hart is sui generis. The boldly immersive experience features shifting concepts fueled by Chef Hart’s multifarious passions and creativity, drawing on themes of nostalgia, music, personal history and more on a multicourse tasting menu. Local products are celebrated, including herbs and vegetables from nearby urban farms, combined with wide-ranging culinary influences that make for a truly memorable meal. The tight-knit team provides effortlessly gracious hospitality, and the beverage offerings are sure to impress.
Jono Elyea / Counter
South Carolina Charleston
Malagón Mercado y Taperia
Cuisine: Spanish
Don’t be fooled by this unassuming spot off King Street; Malagón is a find. It’s a small space with an appealing old-world ambience, where shelves are stocked with wines and imported produce and an open kitchen offers a peek at the goings-on. Chef Juan Cassalett’s tapas-focused, Spanish menu has a clear spark. Nothing is overcomplicated, and there is beauty in the precision in dishes like fried rabbit leg with a savory crème fraîche dipping sauce and la bomba de la Barceloneta, with diced pork stuffed inside mashed potato and then fried. It’s all deceptively simple and deliciously surprising, as in the arros con cangrejo, a paella-style dish tossed with crab that delights with each bite. Spanish wines steal the spotlight on an interesting list.
Vern’s
Cuisine: American Contemporary
The husband-and-wife team of Daniel and Bethany Heinze have created one of Charleston’s most popular spots. Reservations at Vern’s are highly coveted, though some may try their luck at the handful of bar seats saved for walk-ins. Charleston may be a dressed-up town, but inside this hotspot, it’s more homey than fussy, with rich wood floors and tables set with flickering candles. Lowcountry ingredients are championed on a menu that reflects Chef Heinze’s travels. It all shifts with the seasons but items like charred sourdough with allium butter or raw yellowfin tuna with Calabrian chili are dynamic starters. Pasta is made in house—campanelli with rabbit and vacche rosse cheese in a cacio e pepe sauce is silky-smooth. It’s perfectly paired with a selection from Bethany’s expertly curated wine list.
Wild Common
Cuisine: American Contemporary
Chef Orlando Pagán’s tasting menu is far from common, and while upgrades like caviar eggs Benedict and wagyu are indeed available, there’s nothing standard here. From the price (less than $100) and the focus on local ingredients to the wildly creative dishes with a global bent, this is fine dining injected with a bit of fun. Pho with carrot kimchi or hamachi crudo with coconut and kumquat may kick off the meal before roasted carrot and walnut tortelli with carrot fondue and browned butter whey foam, and entrees like dry-aged New York strip with a polenta cake and king trumpet mushrooms. In yet another twist, an aged cheddar sundae offers a savory take on the final course. The dining room is stunning, though the best seats are arguably at the counter for a view of the kitchen.
Ryan Belk / Wild Common
Greenville
Scoundrel
Cuisine: French
Chef/owner Joe Cash’s upscale French bistro charms with an elegant dining room with hardwood floors and brick walls, a full-service bar and an engaging staff who make everyone feel well cared for and welcomed. It’s the hottest table in town, and reservations are a must, though seats at the bar feel far from a consolation prize.
High-quality ingredients are prepared with care and finesse here, where familiar favorites like Caesar salad are leveled up. Roasted half chicken is tender and juicy with a perfectly crispy skin, then topped with gnocchi Parisienne and a moutarde sauce for an extra flourish. For dessert, the upscale comfort food trend continues with cronuts served with a pistachio anglaise sauce and crème fraîche.
Savannah Bockus x Max DiNatale Digital Marketing / Scoundrel
TennesseeNashville
Bastion
Cuisine: Contemporary
Walk through the buzzy cocktail bar to find this stylish restaurant in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. Bastion offers a single tasting menu featuring contemporary Southern cooking that is approachable yet playful. This is a kitchen that isn’t afraid to take risks. Dishes arrive in waves, and the product focus is on full display in a stunning plate of yellow peach and tomato with strawberry miso mayo and mozzarella marshmallows, and in a summery pairing of candy-striped agnolotti filled with squash accompanied by a luscious bowlful of creamed corn. Black cod poached in champagne butter over kohlrabi noodles is topped with a parsley salad with bacon for a clever dish. Southern chess pie is bested with sake lees and cantaloupe sherbet for a terrific finale.
The Catbird Seat
Cuisine: Contemporary
Originally opened in 2011, this prized perch has ushered in a new chapter with its relocation to the top floor of the Bill Voorhees Building. Headed by husband-and-wife chef duo Andy Doubrava and Tiffani Ortiz, The Catbird Seat is dominated by a large U-shaped counter that surrounds the kitchen. There is a youthful, maximalist vibe to this cuisine, and a degree of dedication to locality, seasonality and preservation. The meal is built around an array of stimulating small bites that may include such morsels as an elegant take on a chicken wing, here deboned, stuffed and dressed with sauce Perigord. A wee bowlful of crisped lamb neck set atop creamy Carolina Gold rice and dressed with candy cap mushroom-infused broth and pickled radish pods is yet another tempting possibility.
Locust
Cuisine: Contemporary
Reservations are a must at Chef Trevor Moran’s compact, Japanese-influenced spot. It’s laidback and just a little bit quirky, the kind of place where the full menu is also offered at lunch and they’re only open a few days. There is a simple elegance and a clear attention to detail in every dish, all designed for sharing. Beef tartare hand rolls, a house classic, always delight. From there, explore seafood like Maine diver scallops with shaved green apple. A Japanese omelet with shredded Jonah crab is simple but spot on, but don’t skip dessert. The ever-changing iterations of their kakigori may present a block of the finest, powdery shaved ice filled with a dense passion fruit cream and caramelized honeycomb, then draped with rich milk foam and crowned with a confit egg yolk.
Victoria Quirk / The Catbird Seat
Hero image: Savannah Bockus x Max DiNatale Digital Marketing / Scoundrel
Written by
The MICHELIN Guide
Dining and Cooking