Michelin Released Its First-Ever Guide to the Southeastern U.S.—Here Are the Big Winners

Stars are shining brighter in the Southeastern United States this week with the debut of the Michelin Guide there, the group’s first-ever North American regional edition.

The new guide included one two-star restaurant, 10 new one-star restaurants, and three green star restaurants, which the company revealed during an awards ceremony in its North American headquarters of Greenville, South Carolina. The brand-new edition expands upon the company’s Atlanta Guide, which itself features eight one-starred restaurants.

“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,” Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guide, said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure. “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 flavors. We welcome these restaurants to the MICHELIN Guide family and toast to all the chef and restaurant teams honored tonight.”

Leading the way was the two-starred Emeril’s in New Orleans, which is run by E.J. Lagasse, the son of celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse and the youngest chef to ever lead a kitchen with two stars. Offering a contemporary take on Creole cuisine, the restaurant serves up dishes like oyster stew with Herbsaint cream and smoked salmon cheesecake with 180-day aged caviar.

South Carolina had the most new Michelin-starred restaurants with four, including three located in Charleston and one in Greenville. Each of these restaurants received one star.

“Four MICHELIN Stars in South Carolina isn’t just a milestone, it’s a defining achievement for our state,” Duane Parrish, the director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, said. “This recognition places South Carolina on the global food map and celebrates the stories, people and flavors that make our cuisine truly special.”

When it came to green stars, which are awarded based on a restaurant’s inspiring vision, two of the new spots were located in hotels, including Luminosa in the Flat Iron Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina; and January, the signature restaurant in the Southall Farm & Inn in Franklin, Tennessee.

In addition to the restaurants awarded stars, Michelin named 50 spots to its Bib Gourmand list, which is “given to select restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value.” In all, the full selection of starred, Bib Gourmand, and recommended restaurants serve 44 different types of cuisines.