1st Michelin Guide for the American South announced. Is Nashville eligible for stars?
Mackensy Lunsford- The first regional Michelin Guide in North America will cover six Southern states: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
- The guide will focus on the authentic food culture of the American South, outside of its main urban centers.
- The full 2025 restaurant selection will be revealed during the annual Michelin Guide ceremony for the American South.
- Michelin Stars are awarded to restaurants that display mastery of five criteria, including quality products and harmony of flavors.
The first regional Michelin guide for North America is heading for the Southeast, and its anonymous inspectors are already in the field.
This new Michelin Guide American South, announced Wednesday, will cover the top restaurants in six states: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. It will also encompass a pre-existing Atlanta, Georgia, guide.
This means that restaurants in Nashville and other areas in the South will soon be eligible for coveted Michelin Stars.
The Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp is partnering with the state of Tennessee in support of the project, Deana Ivey, NCVC's president and CEO, said in a statement.
"We are thrilled that for the first time, our Nashville restaurants have the opportunity to be considered by the prestigious Michelin Guide, which reflects the incredible talent and creativity found across our culinary scene,” Ivey said. “While we’re known globally for our music, our restaurants and chefs have earned national acclaim and are consistently honored among the best in the country."
Recognition by the Michelin Guide would further the city's growing reputation as a destination for world-class restaurants.
The guide's full 2025 restaurant selection will be revealed later this year during the annual Michelin Guide ceremony for the American South. No further details have yet been released about the ceremony.
The Michelin Guide was first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage tire sales by giving practical advice to French motorists. It remains a stalwart source for identifying some of the best restaurants in the world.
Though the Michelin Guide covers restaurants from casual to fine dining in its search for broader excellence, its coveted Michelin Stars are reserved for the highest in culinary excellence.
According to a media statement from Michelin North America, Inc., the new regional approach allows the guide to better uncover the authentic food culture of the American South, outside of its main urban centers.
“We are excited to embark on this new journey for the Michelin Guide as this will be the first time since the Guide’s North American debut in 2005 that we are launching a regional selection,” International Director of the Michelin Guides Gwendal Poullennec said. “The cuisine of the American South is a unique product of diverse influences creating an iconic array of specialties prepared by proud and impressive culinary talent.”
The South is a treasure trove of unique culinary culture, from the food of the Gullah-Geechie in the Lowcountry to, yes, Nashville hot chicken. The move to focus on such vibrant regional food is long overdue.
"Our region has long deserved global recognition for its extraordinary farm-to-table cuisine, world-class seafood, and rich food culture — crafted by some of the world's most creative and talented chefs,” Travel South USA President Liz Bittner said. “We couldn’t be prouder to be the first region in the country to showcase our culinary assets in big cities and small towns on a global stage."
What is the Michelin Guide?
The Michelin Guide is a selection of restaurants that display culinary excellence, based on Michelin’s historical methodology. Restaurants must display 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.
Often, the Michelin Guide has relied on local tourism organizations to support the cost of creating and promoting the guides. Korea paid the company nearly $2 million to bring the guide to Seoul in 2016.
What is a Michelin Star?
A Michelin Star is awarded annually to restaurants deemed by the guide's anonymous judges as displaying mastery of the five criteria required to make it into the guide.
Since the early 20th century, inspectors have crowned restaurants with one, two or three stars.
A Michelin Star awards the food on the plate and does not take into account the restaurant's style or formality. The awards are handed out annually to the best restaurants around the world. A Michelin Star is one of the most coveted culinary achievements a chef can attain.
Do inspectors have set criteria restaurants must adhere to?
According to the Michelin Guide, there is no secret mathematical formula; they’re just looking for really great cooking.
Some Michelin-starred restaurants are innovative, some traditional, some prix fixe and some a la carte.
"All we are saying is 'these are the restaurants with the best food, where you will enjoy the most outstanding culinary experiences,'" the guide says. "It is then up to the reader to choose the one that best suits their needs/preferences."
Mackensy Lunsford is the senior dining reporter for The Tennessean. You can reach her at mlunsford@tennessean.com.