PARIS, FRANCE (RFD-TV) — The MICHELIN Guide began publishing in France in the late 1880s as a way for motorists to plan road trips — and has since become the world’s premier voice in fine dining.
Over the decades, Michelin has expanded from European cities to select U.S. destinations, including Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C., as well as statewide guides for California, Colorado, Florida, and Texas. The brand’s Northeast regional guide — which covers those cities (except Atlanta) and recently added Boston and Philadelphia — is now joined by a brand-new culinary map: the first-ever MICHELIN Guide to the American South.
It may have taken 136 years to drive from Paris to the Deep South, but Michelin’s anonymous inspectors have finally arrived — honoring more than a dozen exceptional restaurants, hotels, and bars across Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Emeril’s New Orleans Receives Second Star
One of the biggest highlights comes from Louisiana. Emeril’s New Orleans, now helmed by Executive Chef E.J. Lagasse — the 22-year-old son of beloved TV chef Emeril Lagasse — earned its second Michelin Star, up from one.
The honor makes E.J. Lagasse the youngest chef ever to receive two Michelin Stars, and he was also named the 2025 MICHELIN Guide American South Young Chef Award Winner.
Green Stars and Good Deals
Three restaurants were awarded Green Stars — Luminosa in Asheville, Counter in Charlotte, and January in Franklin, Tennessee — for their commitment to sustainability, sourcing ingredients from local farms, and supporting regional food systems.
January, located at Southall Farm & Inn in Franklin, Tenn. (a suburb of Nashville), is one of the few places highlighted in the guide that’s located in a rural area. There, chefs Andrew Klamar and Nate Leonard lead a concept they call “seed to fork,” where ingredients are grown on the property or raised as close to the restaurant as possible — for example, sourcing beef from nearby Bear Creek Farms, a woman-led/family-owned cattle ranch and small processor. So too, they treat every ingredient with the utmost respect.
The chefs of January to Michelin: “Nearly everything on the plate begins just steps from the kitchen, grown with care on our own farm. When an ingredient can’t be cultivated here, we source it as close to home as possible through trusted local partners who share our values. Our goal is to operate as a zero-waste kitchen. Vegetable trimmings and scraps are returned to the soil through composting. Any surplus or peak-season abundance is captured in our preservation kitchen—pickled, fermented, dried, or canned.”
Counter, in Charlotte, was distinguished for its commitment to working directly with a growing list of local farmers and for reducing food waste through an extensive composting program and innovative fermentation and preservation techniques.
“The majority of the ingredients we use are sourced from over 20 local farms, which we personally interact with,” said Counter’s Executive Chef Sam Hart. “We also have a fermentation and preservation program, making sure nothing goes to waste. We have implemented programs that decrease our consumption, and we fully compost all of our organic material.”
In Asheville, the team behind Luminosa brings the farm — and even the butchery — to the table. The restaurant connects diners to their food experience and to the farmers behind it in unique ways, like butchering whole cows in-house and showcasing a rotating seasonal menu sourced from local farmers’ markets. Not to mention partnering with regional food programs that help local farms thrive, connect farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through local food connections.
“Our commitment to sourcing local produce and supporting local farms is the core of our ethos at Luminosa,” said Luminosa’s Executive Chef, Graham House. “We hold to the objectives set forth by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and work hard to utilize all trim from our kitchen in sustainable ways, such as an extensive fermentation program and close collaboration with the bar team as well. We also practice full snout-to-tail butchery in-house.”
These new Green Star restaurants join two previously honored Atlanta-area restaurants: Bacchanalia and The Chastain.
Michelin also released its Bib Gourmand list, celebrating establishments that offer exceptional food at great value, adding new entries in the region from Alabama and Mississippi.
The Best Value Restaurants in the American South
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2025 Michelin Star Award Winners (South)
See below for a complete list of restaurants honored in Michelin’s Guide to the American South:
Georgia
- Atlas — Atlanta; American
- Bacchanalia — Atlanta; American
- Hayakawa — Atlanta; Japanese
- Lazy Betty— Atlanta; Contemporary
- Mujō— Atlanta; Japanese
- O by Brush —Atlanta, Japanese
- Omakase Table — Atlanta; Japanese
- Spring - Marietta (Note: This restaurant is temporarily closed.)
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Louisiana
Two Stars
- Emeril’s New Orleans — New Orleans; American/Creole
One Star
- Saint-Germain — New Orleans; Contemporary
- Zasu — New Orleans; American Contemporary
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North Carolina and South Carolina
- Counter — Charlotte, N.C.; Contemporary
- Malagón Mercado y Taperia — Charleston, S.C.; Spanish
- Vern’s — Charleston; American Contemporary
- Wild Common— Charleston; American Contemporary
- Scoundrel — Greenville, S.C.; French
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Tennessee
- Bastion — Nashville; Contemporary
- The Catbird Seat — Nashville; Contemporary
- Locust — Nashville; Contemporary
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Green Stars
Newly Awarded:
- Counter — Location: Charlotte, N.C.; Cuisine: Contemporary
- January — Franklin, Tenn.; American
- Luminosa — Asheville, N.C.; Italian
Previously Awarded:
- Bacchanalia — Atlanta, Ga.; American
- The Chastain — Atlanta, Ga.; American
