02-04-2025
Nashville restaurants are now eligible for Michelin stars
Nashville restaurants are eligible for the first time to earn Michelin stars, providing another opportunity of acclaim for the city's culinary scene.
Why it matters: A Michelin star is one of the restaurant world's top honors, and having one can launch a chef's career into the culinary stratosphere.
Zoom in: Nashville's hospitality leaders embraced news of the Michelin Guide expanding to include southern states.
Michelin Guide Inspectors are already scoping out restaurants in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
"While we're known globally for our music, our restaurants and chefs have earned national acclaim and are consistently honored among the best in the country," Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. president and CEO Deana Ivey said.
Zoom out: While Nashville restaurants and chefs are routinely recognized by the James Beard Foundation, the Michelin Guide is viewed by many as the most coveted culinary honor in the world.
How it works: Michelin inspectors visit restaurants anonymously and look for five criteria, the company says. Per a press release, they include:
quality products
the harmony of flavors
the mastery of cooking techniques
the voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine
consistency between each visit and throughout the menu. Each restaurant is inspected several times a year.
The bottom line: Max Goldberg, co-owner of Strategic Hospitality, which boasts a roster of top Nashville eateries like Henrietta Red, the Catbird Seat, and Kisser, celebrated the Michelin news, calling it a "milestone moment for us."
Nate's thought bubble: I've eaten at two Michelin-starred restaurants in my life. I had an incredible meal with family members at Osteria Mozza, the Los Angeles mainstay owned by celebrity chef Nancy Silverton.
The server humbly told us the orecchiette was the best pasta in the U.S.
Last month, I cashed in my Christmas present from my wife: a BBQ road trip to Texas, where we dined at Michelin-starred barbecue joint InterStellar BBQ.
The peach tea-braised pork belly has been on my mind every day since.
