One of the early Michelin Guides in France, 1928
In 1900, when the Michelin brothers were brainstorming ways to (subtly) get people on the French roads more often, and for longer—therefore increasing the demand for MICHELIN tires—they had no idea that their venture into content marketing would create the globe’s most highly esteemed culinary critique system. And they surely never imagined that 125 years later, that system would reach the American South. The MICHELIN Guide first came to North America twenty years ago—casting its coveted eye on a couple hundred restaurants in major cities like New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. But in early April, MICHELIN announced its arrival—yes, the anonymous inspectors are already among us—in the until-now largely overlooked Southern region. This edition of the guide will, in fact, be regional, the first of its kind in North America, encompassing Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and the pre-existing Atlanta, Georgia guide. There is little doubt that many of our restaurants here in Louisiana are MICHELIN-worthy—made by masters and with love, utilizing unparalleled access to fresh ingredients and a rich diversity of approaches. But we’ve known this all along, stars or no.
The full 2025 MICHELIN Guide to the American South will be published sometime later this year. guide.michelin.com.
