Michelin Guide's South edition puts Carolina restaurants on the map with new stars
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The Michelin Guide Ceremony at Mission Ballroom in Denver's RiNo Art District on Sept. 12. Photo: Esteban L. Hernandez/Axios
Five restaurants across North and South Carolina received a Michelin Star as part of the Michelin Guide's inaugural evaluation of the South.
Why it matters: A nod from the esteemed Michelin Guide is a testament to the evolution of the Carolinas' culinary identity — from established BBQ joints to newer, buzzy spots focused on Latin American fare.
Driving the news: Michelin's inaugural American South list, announced Monday night in a ceremony in Greenville, S.C., features 10 restaurants with one Star and one with two Stars.
- Emeril's in New Orleans landed two Stars.
- The selection spans 228 restaurants across 44 cuisine types, plus 50 Bib Gourmands and four special awards.
Michelin Stars: The most prestigious restaurants secure star ratings. One star means a visit is worth a stop; two stars mean it's worth a detour and three stars mean it's worth a special journey. Each of these restaurants received one star:
- Counter- in Charlotte
- Scoundrel in Greenville, S.C.
- Vern's in Charleston
- Wild Common in Charleston
- Malagón Mercado y Taperia in Charleston
Green Stars: Luminosa in Asheville and Counter- in Charlotte each got a Green Star for sustainability.
Bib Gourmand: These North and South Carolina selections indicate value, or great food at reasonable prices. Michelin's current standard for a "reasonable" U.S. price is around $40-$50 for a starter, entree and dessert.
- Lang Van in Charlotte
- Leon's Oyster Shop in Charleston
- Lewis Barbecue in Charleston
- Little Chango in Asheville
- Luminosa in Asheville
- Mala Pata in Raleigh
- Mother in Asheville
- Prime Barbecue in Knightdale
- Rodney Scott's BBQ in Charleston
- Sam Jones BBQ in Raleigh
What they're saying: Sam Jones, owner of Sam Jones BBQ, told Axios he was "pleasantly surprised" by the Michelin recognition, and that he's never considered himself to be in the same category as a chef-driven restaurant.
- "It's nice — especially coming from the lineage of so many people in my family doing this work — to be recognized by such a prestigious organization," Jones said.
Additional "recommended" restaurants in the Carolinas were also named. These don't rise to Bib or star status. Michelin says these are "simply a good meal." They included: Addissae Ethiopean Restaurant (Asheville), All Day Darling (Asheville), Brewery Bhavana (Raleigh), Brodeto (Raleigh), Chubby Fish (Charleston), Crawford and Son (Raleigh), Curate (Asheville), Customshop (Charlotte), Dampf Good BBQ (Cary), Di Vino Rosso (Columbia), Ever Andalo (Charlotte), Fig (Charleston), Golden Hour (Asheville), Good Hot Fish (Asheville), Haberdish (Charlotte), Hello Sailor (Cornelius), Herons (Cary), Husk (Charleston), Jianna (Greenville, S.C.), Jolie (Raleigh), Kindred (Davidson), Leo's House of Thirst (Asheville), Little Bull (Durham), Little Mama's (Charlotte), Lowland (Charleston), Motor Supply Company (Columbia), Nanas (Durham), Nikos (Durham), Omakase Experience by Primefish (Charlotte), Poole's (Raleigh), Prime Fish (Charlotte), Rada (Charlotte) and Restaurant Constance (Charlotte), Supperland (Charlotte).