E.J. and Emeril Lagasse. Credit: Laura Steffan

Michelin’s American South Guide Debuts with 11 New Stars

8 Minute read

04 Nov 2025

Journalist

From Charleston to Nashville, Michelin’s inaugural American South Guide celebrates a region coming into its own on the global dining stage.

Sweet potato biscuits, crab cakes, fried green tomatoes, and bite-sized pot roast (courtesy of Sysco) circulated as hundreds of chefs and restaurateurs gathered in the lobby of Greenville, South Carolina’s Peace Center. There, Michelin continued its U.S. expansion with the launch of the American South Michelin Guide, the broadest regional guide yet, spanning Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as Atlanta’s existing guide. Until now, Michelin’s U.S. coverage has focused on individual cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, and New York City, or states like California, Texas, Florida, and Colorado.

The list itself leaked the morning of the ceremony, making for a subdued celebration of an event years in the making. Travel South invested more than $1 million to secure the American South Michelin Guide for a three-year run.

Of the 11 newly starred restaurants, New Orleans, Nashville, and Charleston each earned three stars, while Charlotte and Greenville, South Carolina, received one apiece. They join eight restaurants in the existing Atlanta Michelin Guide that retained their stars.

Emeril's in New Orleans was the big winner of the night, the only restaurant in the region to receive two stars. The evening doubled as a coronation for E.J. Lagasse, Emeril's 22-year-old son, who now leads the kitchen. He also received the Michelin Young Chef Award, capping a standout year for the second-generation chef. Emeril's ranked number 30 on the inaugural North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list in September and earned a glowing review in The New York Times last month.

“This is something that my dad’s been working on for 35 years, so for us to be able to do this together is a really special thing,” the younger Lagasse says. “It’s been a good year and I’m really happy with it, but I’m focused on next year to be honest.”

Nashville and Strategic Hospitality swept the stars for Tennessee, with The Catbird Seat, Locust, and Bastion each receiving their first star. “I never thought this would be possible when I opened a restaurant in Nashville,” says chef Josh Habiger of Bastion. “I always thought we'd be outside the Michelin radar. It was definitely nerve-wracking. It's something you want to happen, but you just have to do what you do and hope it works out that way.”

Chef Freddy Money of Atlas was among the eight Atlanta restaurants that retained their star in this year’s guide. “I’m so grateful to have the people that I do surrounding me to help make this possible,” he says. “It’s not easy and I’m extremely humbled to retain our star for the third year in a row. We’re going to keep innovating and keep developing and keep having fun with what we do, and not forget to enjoy the process.”

Money said he’s excited to be part of the broader American South guide. “We’ve just made a whole bunch of new friends,” he says. “It’s such a cool community to be part of.”

The full guide features 228 restaurants, including Bib Gourmand and recommended selections. Tourism boards across the South hope the new guide will put the region firmly on the map for culinary travelers.

“We're really hoping that diners come longer, stay longer and spend more money,” says Scott Peacock, the director of marketing and communication for Visit North Carolina, who was instrumental in bringing the guide to fruition. “This gives us recognition as the American South. A lot of people think that all we are is cornbread and biscuits and fried chicken, so this is a chance for us to show that we have a really elevated, sophisticated culinary scene that really anyone in the world should be excited to come and taste.”