The release of Atlanta’s second annual Michelin Guide was a toned-down affair compared to the first event’s celebratory buzz, but the collegial atmosphere and cheers from the crowd during the 2024 ceremony demonstrated how much the local hospitality industry values the internationally renowned rating system.
Some patterns have become apparent in the Atlanta Michelin Guide’s second year, while questions and some obfuscation continue to mystify restaurateurs and diners. No two-star restaurants? No new Green Star establishments?
It seems the best way to earn a Michelin star in Atlanta is to open an omakase restaurant. The inaugural guide awarded one star to two omakase restaurants (Mujo and Hayakawa), and two more joined the starred club in 2024 (O by Brush and Omakase Table).
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reviewed Mujo, Omakase Table and Brush Sushi, and we don’t dispute that all three are excellent restaurants that provide unique experiences.
The penchant of Michelin inspectors toward omakase restaurants appears to stem from the style of service, which is a tasting menu taken a step further. Atlanta’s Michelin Guide now features nine starred establishments, and the five non-omakase restaurants all offer tasting menus. This makes some sense because Michelin says that it rewards cuisine “infused with the personality of the chef,” and there’s no better way for chefs to communicate their personality than by serving their own prescribed, multicourse menus. At an omakase restaurant, the executive chef is often handing each dish to you with his or her own hands.
But Michelin also explicitly states that service style has no bearing on its rating system, and in Atlanta, that simply seems untrue. Based on the Michelin criteria, a restaurant like the Deer and the Dove should be a shoo-in for a star as a restaurant that consistently executes chef Terry Koval’s highly specific vision of transforming humble, locally sourced ingredients into sophisticated indulgences. The Deer and the Dove lacks only white tablecloths and the buzz of newness, two factors that Michelin says its inspectors don’t consider. And what more does veteran Atlanta chef Gerry Klaskala have to do for Aria to achieve even a Recommended rating?
Another pattern that emerged in the guide’s second year is a decided affinity for Asian food. In addition to the four omakase restaurants to earn stars, two Asian restaurants won Bib Gourmand awards and 10 more were recommended in the guide. Asian establishments represent 28% of the 45 restaurants listed in the Atlanta guidebook.
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
When the AJC asked Michelin whether consideration is given toward a guide that is representative of the diversity of cuisine available in metro Atlanta, the anonymous Chief Inspector replied via email that “Inspectors are looking to see what sets a restaurant apart and makes that establishment stand out in a destination.”
It appears, then, that the type of cuisine and even diversity of ownership does not matter for Michelin’s rating system. But the 2024 selections reveal blind spots; Latin cuisine and Black-owned restaurants are underrepresented.
Atlanta has seen an explosion of restaurants featuring the diverse cuisines of Latin America in recent years, but few have captured the attention of Michelin’s inspectors. La Semilla excels at plant-based Latin fare. Oaxaca in Chamblee dives more deeply into the dishes of its namesake Mexican state than any other place in town. And Arnaldo Castillo of Tio Lucho’s offers refined Peruvian fare. All three are worthy of a Michelin commendation. And if Ford Fry’s Mexican chain Superica merits a Bib Gourmand award, so does Taqueria del Sol.
Southern National, chef Duane Nutter’s Summerhill fine dining restaurant focused on Southern cuisine, is a head-scratching snub. The AJC’s review of Southern National found the food excellent, the service elevated and the whole restaurant suffused with Nutter’s personality — what’s missing?
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
We may nitpick about the list, but not about Monday night’s Michelin Guide ceremony. That was brimming with positivity. The crowd of hospitality professionals erupted in loud cheers for every award.
When Miles Macquarrie of Kimball House accepted the Exceptional Cocktails award, he used his time on stage to acknowledge local bartending legend Greg Best for his mentorship. Chef Nolan Wynn of Banshee was not present to accept his Young Chef award because he’d given his tickets to staff members who joyfully thanked him on stage. Ashleigh McFadden of Nadair won the Sommelier Award; she told the AJC that chef Kevin Gillespie had a special magnum of “something bubbly” to celebrate any wins on the night. (Gillespie’s Nadair and Gunshow both received 2024 Michelin recommended status.)
Several attendees who spoke to the AJC said the Michelin Guide has helped elevate Atlanta’s dining scene on the national and international stages. Macquarrie said he’s long hoped for Atlanta to be more respected across the country and that, “because of Michelin, now we are more than ever.”
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Chef Freddy Money of Atlas, which retained its star, told the AJC that his kitchen has expanded from eight chefs to 52 since he took over the culinary operations at the St. Regis in 2023. Of those 52 chefs, Money said 15 are interns, highlighting another valuable aspect of Michelin accolades: The opportunity to earn a star or work in a starred kitchen attracts culinary talent.
Perhaps the biggest change from the first Michelin ceremony was the transformation of some skeptics into believers. Many diners take the Michelin guide seriously, and its international reach helps show that many Atlanta restaurants can compete on the same rarefied plane as the elite restaurants in renowned dining destinations like New York City, London or Paris.
The key for Atlanta will be preserving the creativity and regional influences that make our city a culinary gem. Some restaurateurs might be tempted to chase Michelin accolades by shifting toward tasting menus or mimicking European haute cuisine, but chasing awards is nearly always a mistake.
Great restaurants are not built on a foundation of inauthenticity and obsequiousness — they’re built on passion, attention to detail, a respect for the customer and, most of all, hard work. A restaurant with those ingredients may or may not earn a Michelin star, but it’s likely to achieve the most important reward in the hospitality business: A full reservation book.
Ligaya Figueras and Henri Hollis are dining critics for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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