The famed Michelin Guide has a long and celebrated history. Today, we think of it as an authority on exceptional restaurants and hotels around the world. And, of course, we all look for those coveted red stars. But 125 years ago, when the guide first rolled onto the scene in France, it was something entirely different.
It was originally a French publication, first written in 1900, as a guide for early French new car owners. That first guide included all sorts of practical information. Tips on how to change tires ( yes, its the same Michelin!) and directions on where to find fuel stops. There was also info on how and where to get car repairs done.
In addition, those early guides included notes on where one could find a good place eat. And the guide included a list of places to rest along the way. The restaurant notes quickly gained traction, and before long, the culinary recommendations outshone the car advice.
Although, if your traveling by car and need help with a flat, Michelin is still happy to help. Wink, wink – how could I resist not including this?
But, I digress.
Today, inspectors, hired exclusively by Michelin, quietly travel the world, dining anonymously, taking notes. Ultimately they shape the list of restaurants each year that set Michelin’s well-known global standard for excellence. The guides are now published based on country or region. It’s all on the Michelin Guide website. Or, simply download the app to keep on your android or iphone; and then, keep at your fingertips.
A Southern Milestone
For 125 years, Michelin inspectors have been rating restaurants and sharing results. First in France and now around the world.
In case you have missed the news, history was made on Monday Nov 3, 2025 in Greenville SC. The newest addition to the family of Michelin Guides is the Michelin Guide American South. This guide covers North & South Carolina, Georgia , Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Atlanta, has actually had is own listing in years past.
I couldn’t be more excited. Proud to say I have eaten and written about many of these wonderful restaurants, but I can’t wait to eat my way through this list all over again. Come on along; and plan to join me in the adventure.
Michelin Guide Recommended Restaurants: North Carolina
This first set of awards are dining recommendations to recognize chefs who are passionate about ingredients, hospitality, and creating unforgettable dining experiences. Proud that North Carolina’s list is long and, happy to report, wonderfully diverse. Not a bad bite in the bunch.
Charlotte: Restaurant Constance, Little Mama’s, Rada, PrimeFish, Omakase Experience by PrimeFish, Supperland, Customshop, Ever Andalo, Haberdish, Hello Sailor (Cornelius), and Kindred (Davidson)
Asheville: Addissae Ethiopian, All Day Darling, Cúrate Bar de Tapas, The Admiral, Golden Hour, Good Hot Fish, Leo’s House of Thirst, Soprana, Sunny Point Café, Table, Tall John’s, and Ukiah
Raleigh: Poole’s, St. Roch Fine Oysters, Tamasha, Nikos, Brewery Bhavana, Stanbury, Crawford and Son, Jolie, Herons, The Pit Authentic Barbecue, and Brodeto
Durham: Little Bull, Nana’s, and Seraphine
And, also in the Triangle: Dampf Good BBQ in Cary and The Fearrington House in Pittsboro
Michelin Guide Recommended Restaurants: South Carolina
Greenville: Jianna, The Anchorage, Soby’s
Columbia: Di Vino Rosso, Motor Supply Company
Charleston: The Establishment, Husk, Chubby Fish, FIG, Lowland, The Restaurant at Zero George, Sorelle, and Xiao Bao Biscuit
Plus, The Obstinate Daughter (Sullivan’s Island), Topsail Kitchen (Travelers Rest), and Oak Prime (Myrtle Beach)
In the interest of time (and space here), I’ll direct you to find the lists of Michelin Guide recommended restaurants in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi online at the Michelin site. Do check it out and make reservations before you travel to any of these neighboring Southern states.
The Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand restaurants: North Carolina
In addition, to the list of Michelin Guide recommended restaurants and the 2025 one- and two- Michelin Star Winners, is a list of hidden gems in each of the states in the American South category. These restaurants fall into Michelin’s Bib Gourmand family. Recognized for great food at a great price point, here are these Must-Eat-Here-Now spots in North & South Carolina.
- Little Chango in Asheville NC, (Latin American)
- Luminosa in Asheville NC, (Italian)
- Mother in Asheville NC, ( Listed as a “Bakery” in the guide, this is a great little spot for lunch or dinner as well)
- Lang Van in Charlotte NC, Vietnamese ( This is one of the first Charlotte restaurants I ever wrote about for the now out-of-print The Leader newspaper. It’s been a hidden gem for years, still going strong!)
- Prime Barbecue in Knightsdale, NC
- Mala Pata in Raleigh, NC Mexican
- Sam Jones BBQ in Raleigh, NC
- Leon’s Oyster Shop in Charleston, SC Seafood
- Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, SC
- Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston, SC
Read more about the 2025 Bib Gourmand Nods for the rest of the American South here.
Michelin Guide 2025 American South Cocktail Award
This singular award honors those who don’t just mix ingredients or shake and stir things up; but those who craft moments and food memories that stick with us, well beyond that last sip.
If you have ever had a cocktail at Supperland, Haberdish, Ever Andalo, or Leluia Hall, all in Charlotte, the winner of this Michelin Guide American South Award will be of no surprise.
Proud to share that Colleen Hughes of Supperland in Charlotte, the flagship restaurant, bar and speakeasy of the Tonidandel-Brown restaurant group, is the first American South recipient of the the Michelin 2025 Exceptional Cocktail Award.
Those of you following me for a while, will also remember that Colleen is the 2021 NCRLA Chef Showdown Mixologist of the Year. And, a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
If you’ve ever had one of Colleen’s cocktails, you already know why she’s been recognized here. Every pour tells a story: inventive, whimsical, deeply intentional. Her cocktails often weave in unexpected ingredients and a touch of Southern charm. It’s not just about what’s in the glass, but the entire experience she builds around it. Her award is a huge win not only for Charlotte but for every bartender and beverage director who approaches mixology as culinary art.
Michelin Guide 2025 American South Green Star Award
And the accolades kept rolling for Charlotte ( and Asheville as well). Chefs Sam Hart of Counter and Graham House from Luminosa in Asheville joined the Michelin Green Star roster as two of five chefs in the American South region to earn this sustainability distinction.
The Green Star isn’t about luxury, it’s about leadership. It honors chefs and teams who are reimagining what responsible dining looks like: minimizing waste, sourcing with intention, and making sustainability as essential to the menu as flavor itself.
Sam and his team have built Counter around creativity, conscience, and community. Its a dinner theater of sorts, where every season brings a new theme inspired by art, history, or current events. Michelin inspectors noted,
“This creative spot offers something different every three months. Chef Sam and his team plunge headfirst into a theme inspired by the art, history, or current events. ( One visit you might be) dining on the Titanic or ( at another you may find yourself) feasting through a multi-course ode to Pink Floyd.”
Both Colleen and Sam represent Charlotte’s culinary spirit beautifully. While Graham is doing the same thing in Asheville, supporting local farmers all along the way.
All of which, Graham pointed out in an onstage interview, as he said how it is important to him to “Keep my spending dollars in our community.” He noted that shopping with local farmers and supporting their efforts is an easy way to do that. I loved that he added that the farmers he buys from are his friends. Why wouldn’t he want to support them? I absolutely feel the same, Graham.
The delicious results of the efforts of these three North Carolina culinarians is food and beverage that is inventive, intentional, and always ready to challenge the norm.
Michelin Stars Shine Bright
While inspectors visit each restaurant individually, they all look for the same Five Universal Criteria: The quality of the ingredients; the mastery of techniques; the harmony and balance of flavors; the personality of the chef as expressed on the plate and the consistency found in the restaurant and on the menu as a whole.
Drumroll, please… Cheers and Congratulations are in order. In addition to the Green Sustainability Star Award, Chef Sam Hart at Counter is Charlotte’s and North Carolina’s first ever Michelin Star chef!
In addition to Counter in Charlotte, this year’s American South One Star Recipients include:
- Saint Germain in New Orleans, LA
- Scoundrel in Greenville, SC
- Wild Common in Charleston, SC
- Locust in Nashville, TN
- Zasu in New Orleans, LA
- Malagón Mercado y Taperia in Charleston, SC
- Vern’s in Charleston, SC
- Bastion in Nashville, TN
- The Catbird Seat in Nashville, TN
These winners are not just setting standards in local towns and cities and in their home states. They are being given a place on the world culinary stage are helping to put the American South on the Global Culinary Map.
“Earning a Michelin Star is a rare and transformative achievement, ” noted Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide at the Nov 3 Awards ceremony in Greenville SC. “It’s a symbol recognized around the world; opening doors; and setting these chefs and their teams apart as leaders in the culinary arts.”
More Happy News Here: As a part of the awards ceremony, Poullennec announced that eight Atlanta-based restaurants have maintained their 1 star status. You can find that list here.
Emeril’s in New Orleans celebrates in a Big and Unexpected Way
Then, the evening ended with the presentation of the Michelin Young Chef Award, this year presented to E.J. Lagasse of Emeril’s in New Orleans. His father, Chef Emeril Lagasse, was on hand to celebrate. And then, this happened…
And in an unforgettable moment, Emeril’s in New Orleans, now led by E.J. Lagasse, became the first restaurant in the American South to earn two Michelin stars. Congratulations all the way around!
Read, Explore, and Hit the Road
With so many excellent choices at hand, where in the American South will you eat next?
Browse the full Michelin Guide American South listing, including all American South one-star and recommended restaurants, on the Michelin Guide website.
Read all about Emeril’s the American South’s only Two Star Michelin restaurant and see the notes on all of the 2025 one star American South restaurants here.
See the list of all the North Carolina Michelin American South restaurants here.
And, don’t forget to read this Michelin interview with Charlotte’s own Colleen Hughes from Supperland, here.
Finally, in case you missed it at the top of this article: In the spirit of the original Michelin Guide, which started as a roadside helper for travelers over a century ago – If you happen to need it on your culinary adventures, here’s a repost of the quick video from Michelin on how to change a flat tire.