The 2024 Atlanta Michelin Guide selections will be announced Oct. 28 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Attendance, which will include chefs and owners from Michelin award-winning restaurants, is by invitation only.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Atlanta Michelin Guide:
What is the Michelin Guide? The Michelin Guide, which is owned by the French tire manufacturer of the same name, made its debut at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris as a handbook with maintenance guides, maps and listings of petrol stations, hotels and restaurants. In 1926, the guide began to award stars for fine dining establishments, initially marking them only with a single star. Five years later, it introduced a tiered star rating system. It has since expanded its selections to recognize restaurants that serve food at a high level but that haven’t been awarded stars, value-driven restaurants, and those that focus on sustainability. The guide now rates over 30,000 establishments across three continents.
How does Michelin rate restaurants? Michelin follows a three-star system. One-star restaurants are defined as offering “high-quality cooking, worth a stop.” Two stars are awarded to restaurants that offer “excellent cooking, worth a detour.” Three stars are defined by “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
Other Michelin designations include: A Recommended rating for restaurants that serve food at a high level, Bib Gourmand for restaurants that “offer great quality food at good prices,” and a Green Star given to eateries “that are leaders in sustainable gastronomy.”
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What is the judging process? Restaurants are evaluated based on five criteria: quality products, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of cooking techniques, the voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine, and consistency between each visit and throughout the menu. Inspectors do not consider price or value in their evaluations of starred restaurants.
An inspector never visits the same place twice, but different inspectors would return to the restaurant to give it their own evaluations. Then they compare notes.
Who are the judges? Judges, known as “inspectors,” dine anonymously and pay for all their meals, according to Andrew Festa of Michelin North America.
Demographic information about the inspectors is kept secret to maintain their anonymity and to protect the independence of their process. The inspection teams include people from a wide range of ages and backgrounds (more than 15 nationalities and 25 languages spoken).
They are full-time Michelin employees who are former hospitality professionals who have at least 10 years of experience in the industry, and Michelin covers all their expenses.
How frequently is a guide released? Guides are updated annually.
When did the Michelin Guide come to Atlanta? The first Michelin Guide Atlanta was released in 2023. Five restaurants received 1 Michelin star and a total of 45 restaurants were recognized.
Which U.S. cities have a Michelin guide? In 2005, New York became the first North American city to receive a guide. Now there are also guides for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Miami, Orlando and Tampa, Florida, Atlanta and select cities in Colorado.
How does a city get a Michelin guide? For Michelin to enter any city, tourism boards must pay a fee that goes toward funding inspectors’ visits and marketing the guide, but the selection process remains independent and anonymous. In Atlanta, the guide is funded by the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Where can I find Michelin guides? Michelin Guides are available on the Michelin website and iOS and Android app. Both are free and include all the Michelin-rated restaurants and hotels around the world.
What is the restaurant review radius for Atlanta inspectors? When the 2023 selections were announced, Andrew Festa of Michelin North America said that the radius for the city’s guide had yet to be determined, but added that “the coverage area often expands in future editions of the Guide.” The 2024 selections will take into consideration restaurants in greater Atlanta, not just the City of Atlanta, according to Andrew Wilson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
What impact does earning a Michelin star have on a restaurant? It’s a mixed bag. Read more here from Atlanta chefs whose restaurants were awarded stars in 2023.
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