A date has been set for the Michelin Guide Atlanta’s big reveal.
On Oct. 24, Michelin North America will announce which restaurants will be awarded a Michelin Star, Bib Gourmand or another Michelin Guide distinction. The announcement will take place at the Rialto Center for the Arts. Attendance, which will include chefs from Michelin award-winning restaurants, is by invitation only.
“This will be a milestone occasion – for both Michelin and Atlanta,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the Michelin Guides in a prepared statement. “The culinary scene in this fantastic city will now get the recognition it has long deserved. Michelin’s team of anonymous inspectors was captivated by the quality, creativity and flavor in this diverse dining scene.”
Atlanta was announced as the newest Michelin Guide destination in North America in July.
Over the past few months, anonymous Michelin Guide “inspectors” visited restaurants to decide if any will receive coveted one, two or three Michelin stars. The guide also includes a Bib Gourmand selection, “highlighting restaurants that offer great quality food at good prices,” and a Green Star given to eateries “that are leaders in sustainable gastronomy,” according to a press release.
Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the Michelin Guide inspectors.
Inspectors make dining reservations secretly and “pay for all their meals to ensure they are treated the same as any other customer,” according to the release.
The Atlanta restaurant selection will follow Michelin’s historical methodology, based on five universal 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 (each restaurant is inspected several times a year).
The 2023 Atlanta restaurant selection will join a selection of Michelin-rated hotels later this year.
Michelin published its first North American Guide in 2005 for New York. Guides have also been added in Washington, D.C.; Chicago; California; Miami/Orlando/Tampa, Florida; Toronto; Vancouver; and Colorado.
The guide, first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage tire sales by giving practical advice to French motorists, has become known as a bible of sorts for those seeking to find some of the best restaurants in Michelin-star cities. Other North American cities and states included in the Michelin Guide include Chicago, New York and California.
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