Four Atlanta area restaurants awarded Michelin stars
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The Marietta restaurant Spring is one of the new starred restaurants. Photo: Claire Maureen/Courtesy of Michelin
Four restaurants have joined the list of Atlanta restaurants with the distinctive Michelin star designation.
Why it matters: A Michelin Guide endorsement not only elevates a restaurant's status in the culinary world, but can also bring a new level of attention and business from customers.
Driving the news: The four restaurants — O By Brush, Omakase Table, Spring and Staplehouse — were each recognized Monday with one star.
- There are now nine Atlanta area restaurants that have one Michelin star.
Zoom in: Masterpiece, Superica, Table & Main and Whoopsie's were each honored with the Bib Gourmand designation, an award that celebrates moderately-priced restaurants.
- Atlanta's guide now has 57 restaurants that represent more than 25 types of cuisines, Michelin said.
What they're saying: Brian So, the chef at Spring, which is located in Marietta, said at the ceremony he owes so much to the people in the audience because he grew up eating at their restaurants.
The big picture: Mike Jordan, master of ceremonies and senior editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said "the city wins when we have things like this."
- "I've seen a difference in the attitude, in the brightness in chefs' eyes, in the inspiration (and) all the creativity," he said.
The intrigue: The latest guide, like last year's inaugural guide, did not include any two- or three-star designations.
Zoom in: Michelin's star rating system includes three tiers and is based on five criteria, including product quality, cooking techniques and how the chef's personality is reflected in the cuisine.
- The guide's secretive vetting process is part of its mythos, but it generally goes like this: An unnamed crew of inspectors with sophisticated palates fan out across metro Atlanta and anonymously try dishes.
Flashback: During last year's inaugural ceremony, five Atlanta restaurants — Bacchanalia, plus Atlas, Hayakawa, Lazy Betty and Mujō — walked home with the one-star designation.
View the full guide, which includes all recommended restaurants and other Atlanta places recognized by Michelin.