More Stars for the South

On Wednesday, October 21, MICHELIN descended on Nashville to honor the restaurants and chefs included in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide American South. Unlike last year, when the list of awardees was accidentally shared several hours before the awards were announced, this year’s ceremony offered a few surprises. 

Emcee’d by actor and musician Charles Esten, the event was held at The Pinnacle and honored a host of individual chefs and restaurants with special awards, as well as those who are new to receiving Recommended and Bib Gourmand status and those receiving new stars. 

New restaurants receiving one star included Dakar NOLA in New Orleans, So. Fox in Atlanta, and Uberto Restaurant at Quercus resort in Gay, Georgia. Emeril’s once again retained its two-star status, and the Guide added 31 new restaurants to the Recommended list and 14 new Bib Gourmand recipients. 

While the restaurants celebrating their new wins were deservedly in a celebratory mood that night, a few moments gave pause. For example, when the second special award was announced, for the MICHELIN Sommelier, two people stepped on stage, including Wilmington North Carolina restaurant manna’s owner and operator William Mellon, who immediately introduced the restaurant’s actual sommelier James Spain, who officially accepted the award. 

And when it came to acknowledging the recommended restaurants that had retained their status from last year, Esten simply asked the audience to check the website after the event, rather than presenting a full list on screen or offering a verbal acknowledgement. Understandable for an event with a time constraint, but it had several in the audience scratching their heads since they’d traveled long distances to be there, likely thinking they would receive recognition. This all came on the heels of a news investigation by D Magazine, which ran text from the most recent Texas guide through artificial intelligence monitors and noted that 80 percent of the review text was flagged as possibly being written by AI. MICHELIN denied the allegation, stating: “AI is not used in the writing of these reviews.”  

Other special awards this year included Young Chef/Culinary Professional Hector González-Mora of The Story of “Mi Cariño” in Charlotte and the Outstanding Service Award, which went to Jared Patterson of Little Betty Steak Bar in Mountain Brook, Alabama. New this year were also editorial recognitions called Mindful Voices, which included Restaurant Constance in Charlotte, and Uberto Restaurant in Georgia.  

During receptions before and after the ceremony, most chefs expressed how happy they were “just to be in the room,” as James London, chef and owner of Chubby Fish told me. His restaurant wasn’t likely to pick up a star, he noted, due to the fact that they don’t take (many) reservations. (They’ve recently partnered with Open Table to offer a few select seats to diners through the reservation platform.) 

Others shared how meaningful—and impactful—being mentioned in the Guide last year has been to their business. Erik Niel of Chattanooga’s Easy Street Bistro, Main Street Meats, and Little Coyote said that immediately following last year’s ceremony in Greenville, South Carolina, he drove straight to Little Coyote and, “basically didn’t leave for a few weeks. We were immediately slammed and it increased our business nearly ten-fold,” he said. “It’s been a complete game changer.” 

Chef Michael Hanna of St. Vito Focacceria in Nashville mentioned a similar effect during a conversation earlier this year, noting that his sales have increased 14 percent since last year’s Guide was announced, and that his team, who regularly ask visitors how they heard about the restaurant, note that more often than not, it was through the Guide. “We’re fortunate that when you click on Tennessee restaurants, we’re at the top of the page,” he says. “And the clientele has changed dramatically. We used to have a hard time selling certain items that aren’t pizza, but now, it’s a much more educated diner that’s willing to try everything on the menu.” 

The celebration brought out strong emotions, especially for those who were new to this year’s list, like Bib Gourmand recipient Maiz de la Vida; chef-owner Julio Hernandez was visibly thrilled to be on stage. And, at an after party late into the evening, chef Serigne Mbaye of Dakar NOLA proudly toted his new white chef’s coat in hand.

For a look at all of the restaurants included in this year’s guide, visit guide.michelin.com.

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