What will the Michelin Guide American South mean for Raleigh?
Raleigh may finally be seeing stars. The Michelin Guide announced the launch of its Guide American South, encompassing NC, alongside five states including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee, plus the preexisting Atlanta Guide. Inspectors are already scouting out the South’s top culinary gems to be featured in North America’s first regional guide—meaning they could be right here in Raleigh already.
Long the gold standard of culinary excellence, Michelin is the authority on the best dining across the globe, only launching guides in dining destinations it deems worthy. These guides impart a host of short reviews and symbols for restaurants, the most esteemed being the star—which can be added or taken away. And, no doubt, the star’s reverence is in how hard it is to achieve.
Man of the Hour Yes—this Michelin is the same one fitting up your ride. Before “Michelin” became a beacon of foodie fame, it was—and still is—the French-born tire company that splashed onto the resto scene with the launch of its first guide in 1900.
For years, Raleigh restaurateurs have been working to raise the bar within our local food scene, and, clearly, it’s already paying off. The Cap City has definitely earned its pushpin on the foodie map—for starters, see this year’s list of James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalists. But as illustrious as Beard is, Michelin is next-level.
The exclusivity factor alone tells most of the story. Michelin dropped its inaugural North American Guide in New York City in 2005 (expanding to include Westchester County in 2020), continuing its U.S. rollout with editions in Chicago, DC and San Francisco—the latter marking Michelin’s first statewide expansion to California in 2019, created in partnership with Visit California. And, in 2022, Michelin launched its premiere Florida Guide in collab with Visit Florida, spanning Tampa, Miami and Orlando—with three additional destinations added this year to include Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater.
Making the Cut
Michelin awards up to three stars based on five criteria:
Quality of ingredients/products used
Mastery of flavor and cooking techniques
Personality of the chef in cuisine
Harmony of flavors
Consistency between visits
Beyond winning bragging rights and exclusive status, stars translate to tourism—and dollars. Pundits have long postured that restaurants play a significant role in a city’s economic prosperity. Researchers observing Michelin’s impact in Chicago found “an increase of one Michelin Guide restaurant leads to a .5% increase (or roughly $1,141) in the home value of the median home in a neighborhood.”
The undeniable boost in business aside, Michelin recognition can represent the pinnacle of a chef’s aspirations. “…I never dreamed Michelin would come to the South,” reminisces Crawford Hospitality’s Scott Crawford. “Having cooked in the American South most of my career, it is amazing to see Michelin recognize our region as one worthy of a guide. Southern cities can now attract more hospitality professionals with aspirations of opening or working in Michelin-star restaurants.” Beyond Raleigh, culinary hot spots across the South will finally get the recognition they deserve.
Who Judges? Inspecting potential star-studded restaurants are highly trained and educated critics with seasoned résumés. And adding that certain je ne sais quoi factor—and ensuring they receive the real resto experience—the true identities of inspectors are kept quiet. Think Central Intelligence Agency meets Culinary Institute of America.
Which local restos—if any—make the list won’t be unveiled until the annual Michelin Guide ceremony for the American South (date TBD). Until then, you’ll find us still wishing on that star.
Festival season is back—but if you aren’t keen on dragging the whole fam to a Coachella-esque ordeal, opt for the Kids Food Fest at Marbles Kids Museum. In partnership with The Creative Kitchen, the fun-for-all-ages foodie fete is throwing down May 3–4 at Moore Square, Marbles Playway and Marbles IMAX Theater.
Originally launched in NYC’s Bryant Park in 2021 with a goal to help fams make balanced food choices, the foodie festival educates through fun and engaging activities, “perfectly aligning us with the children’s museum’s philosophy of learning through play,” says The Creative Kitchen founder Cricket Azima. Since then, the fest has traveled throughout the country to inspire smart food ops and cooking seshes—with Raleigh being one of them.
Not to mention there’s James Beard Foundation Future Foodies Classes for taking on some serious cooking counseling. The ten offered classes are taught by local culinary celebs—think Top Chef alums Savannah Miller of M Restaurants and Katsuji Tanabe of Flour & Barrel and just-bowed La Taqueria, and Chris Prieto of Prime Barbecue— and will allow kiddos (and adults!) to brush up on their culinary skills or learn the basics from scratch.
“I am blessed beyond measure to be a part of Kids Food Fest,” emphasizes Prieto. “All five of my children love going to the Marbles Museum and I am excited for the opportunity to host a cooking class there. I hope the children and families leave my class inspired to build cooking traditions in their kitchens at home.”
Apart from ticketed classes, the festival’s mantra is carried out through packed programming—from cooking demos and live performances to wellness breakout sessions and the festival’s signature Balanced Plate Scavenger Hunt, there’s more than just plates to pass around. And who knows, your little tike just may be teaching one of the culinary classes in the future. Yes, chef!
“I’m humbled and overjoyed to be recognized,” emphasizes Prieto. … “I’ve dedicated my life to the craft of barbecue, and through it, have found so many meaningful ways to serve my Knightdale community and tell my story. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our work here at Prime Barbecue—and the craft of barbecue—appreciated by our peers.”
After less than a year on the scene, DTR’s Figulina also earned the honor of Best New Restaurant semifinalist at the hands of former Poole’s chef de cuisine David Ellis and wife/co-owner Sam.
“We never imagined receiving this kind of recognition in our first year,” says Ellis, who learned about the nod in a barrage of texts and calls. “I’m incredibly proud of our amazing team whose passion and dedication make Figulina what it is. This honor truly means the world to us, and we’re so grateful to see our work resonate with others—not to mention the inspiring company we’re listed among.”
While Crawford has been named a JBFA semifinalist five times, the significance of the honor hasn’t waned. “When I was a young cook struggling with addiction, I never imagined in my wildest dreams this could be possible,” he says. “Today’s recognition as Outstanding Restaurateur speaks to the power of sobriety and perseverance.” Congrats to all the winners! See below for all the NC nods, and find the full 2025 list here.
“What an incredible feeling! To have brought the cuisine of our homeland to a place I’ve never been and been so quickly embraced and celebrated—it is beyond words. I’m deeply grateful for the love and support from Raleigh and the James Beard Foundation!”
The James Beard Foundation just announced its 2023 James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists—and Raleigh’s Preeti Waas of Cheeni Indian Food Emporium nabbed a nod as Best Chef: Southeast semifinalist!
The seasoned restaurateur opened her whimsical concept last year—which quickly soared in popularity thanks to its unique food offerings, colorful bazaar and vibrant interior. Should Waas win, it will be a two-peat James Beard Awards grab in the category for the Triangle—as Durham chef Ricky Moore of Saltbox claimed the top industry award for Best Chef: Southeast last year.
Preeti Waas of CheeniKingfisher | Scott Myers PhotographySeabird’s Dean Neff with wife Lydia Clopton | Lindy Schoenborn
“Congratulations to all our 2023 James Beard Award Semifinalists! This is always an exhilarating moment as we kick off the Awards cycle and recognize the outstanding achievements of individuals and teams across the country,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. “After a year of fundamental changes, we look forward to building on the progress made, celebrating those paving a better future for us all—through their talent and craft, service to others, and commitment to a better, more sustainable industry. We look forward to sharing more exciting details for the 2023 ceremonies in the coming days.”
The 2023 Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists are recognized across 23 categories, including the new Award for Outstanding Bakery. Nominees will be announced on Wednesday, March 29, and winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 5, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Additional 2023 James Beard Awards semifinalists in the state include:
Max Trujillo and Matthew Weiss, hosts of the NC Food & Beverage podcast, give us a glimpse of the most glamorous evening in food
There’s a reason why they’re called the Oscars of Food.
The annual James Beard Foundation Awards has recognized culinary leaders across the country in national categories—including Best New Restaurant and Humanitarian of the Year—and regional ones, such as Best Chef Southeast—since 1991. The coveted grand prize, a Best Actor or Best Actress equivalent, if you will, is Outstanding Chef; this year, Raleigh’s own Ashley Christensen was one of five finalists up for the top award.
As longtime supporters of the North Carolina food scene, we traveled to Chicago to support Christensen, one of three finalists from the state, whittled down from a list of 16—16!—local semifinalists. Spoiler alert: this story doesn’t end with Christensen bringing the medallion home to Raleigh. The honor went to Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune in New York City. But for Christensen, who won the regional award for Best Chef Southeast in 2014, and all the other chefs and restaurateurs, there’s a lot more to it than winning; it’s about a sense of North Carolina pride.
Asheville chef Katie Button was a finalist for Best Chef Southeast, and Kinston’s Vivian Howard, a presenter that evening, was a finalist for Outstanding Personality/Host for her work on PBS’s “A Chef’s Life.” (By the way, Howard won an Emmy for her program the week before the Beard Awards, no small feat!) From chefs to brewers, journalists to TV personalities, our state is making an impact on the food industry, and Christensen is leading the charge. Christensen has always taken a principled stance on equality, made a commitment to community and given a voice to many who haven’t been heard. Receiving a James Beard Award isn’t simply just about being a good cook. Yes, it’s an achievement in culinary excellence, but it’s also an honor of a person’s commitment to bettering humanity.
Kris Moon, Vice President of the James Beard Foundation, spoke to us about how the awards this year reflected both ethnic and gender diversity across the board. Considering the widespread revelations of sexual harassment in the food industry, a person’s character in the kitchen has come to mean even more to those in the food community.
In tagging along with Christensen, Howard and Button, we learned the extent of their devotion to and awareness of others.
For instance, in an effort to bring awareness to eliminating food waste, Button used whey (a byproduct of an Asheville cheese-making creamery) and the ends of bread, which would otherwise have been thrown out, in a dish she was preparing for the awards show.
And there was a touching moment in the pressroom when we were chatting with Howard and she was hoping for a Christensen victory. In other industries, there may be an assumption that these two leaders would be natural rivals, but that’s absolutely not the case here. What was clear in Howard’s sentiments was her recognition of and reverence for Christensen’s talents and humanitarian efforts. And Howard credits Christensen for being among the first to welcome her back to the North Carolina food scene after years of working in New York.
Backstage, we spoke with the Humanitarian of the Year winner, José Andrés. He was recognized for his work in Puerto Rico with his organization World Central Kitchen. As we chatted, we heard the announcement for Outstanding Chef, Christensen’s category. We didn’t hear her name called. Sure, there was a sense of disappointment, but the truth is, she is a winner. Our winner. She was one of only five people, from all over the country, that exemplifies the spirit of community, leadership and creativity that won her the Outstanding Chef nomination.
Just three days later, in the heart of downtown Raleigh at the ThriveNC food festival, Christensen was onstage in front of a standing-room-only group of admirers, doing what she does best: teaching the community how to cook in a socially responsible manner.
Attending the Beard awards typically means a deluge of delicious food and copious amounts of creative cocktails, and the wonderful food and drink were certainly there. But what we’ll remember most about the experience, beyond all the deliciousness, is the warmth and the reverence these culinary experts have for one another. And that’s what we’re always proud to find and spotlight in the food scene here at home.
There’s a reason