We have been visiting restaurants in the metro Atlanta area recently in anticipation of Michelin Guide‘s arrival. We will continue to update this post until the guide is officially released.
The following predictions are based on our personal experience and research, and do not reflect the views of others.
Green Star
I think Little Bear will earn a well deserved Green star due to the fact they are an organic farm to table restaurant that works directly with local growers. The restaurant itself does not use any nonrecyclable material and Little Bear donates a large portion of its profit to the local growers.
Bib Gourmand
The Bib Gourmand award is given to restaurants that provide delicious meals at very reasonable prices. However, if a restaurant earns a Bib Gourmand star, then it will not earn a Michelin star. If a restaurant earns a Michelin star, then no matter what price it’s at, it won’t receive a Bib Gourmand star. If a restaurant legit qualified for both, they would be awarded a Michelin star. This is the reason why a lot of people call the Bib Gourmand, the “baby” star. Typically, the Bib Gourmand list comes out before the Michelin starred restaurants list is published. This makes it interesting because if you were hoping for a star, and found yourself on the Bib Gourmand list, it could feel like a little failure.
We are not told exactly what price point they have to be under to be qualified for the Bib Gourmand because the price is dependent on area and it changes year to year. I wonder if Falling Rabbit would actually qualify but if they do, I think they could receive a Bib Gourmand.
Not trying to be redundant, but I firmly believe Little Bear will receive a Bib Gourmand star, in addition to the Green Star. In fact, Little Bear receiving a Bib is my most confident prediction on this whole page.
One Michelin Star
The Chef’s Table at the Alden was fantastic and really in-line with what Michelin is usually looking for. I have to admit, I’m still kind of 50/50 on whether The Alden will get a star, but out of all of the places we’ve dined at, The Alden stands out from the rest.
I had mentioned in my review of Bacchanalia that I felt uncertain they would get a star. I have thought about my meal a lot since then and now I have somewhat had a change of heart. I now believe they will receive one star.
Georgia Boy does not have a logo for itself – it’s inside the Southern Belle restaurant. As my review of Georgia Boy suggested, this is my most confident 1 star restaurant. Chef Joey Ward was very inventive, each course was presented by the chef himself, and every wine pairing came with a story about its winery and winemakers. This was an amazing experience that was on par to other Michelin restaurants we’ve dined at.
Two Michelin Stars
Mujo delivers an exceptional experience with a price tag you would think only a Michelin restaurant could command. Chef Trent Harris is no stranger to Michelin stars – he’s already worked at 2 Michelin starred restaurants, Sushi Ginza Onodera (2 stars), and Aldea (1 star). Ironically, both of those restaurants have now closed, but you bet Chef Trent Harris’ restaurant would be on top of Michelin’s radar.
Three Michelin Stars
Unfortunately at this time, I have not found a restaurant in the Atlanta area that deserves three Michelin stars.
Michelin Mentions
These are restaurants that are good enough to be listed on Michelin’s website. Typically for an area the size of Atlanta, we would see about 50 restaurants getting mentioned (in addition to the ones that got some kind of star).
Aria was delicious and service was top notch, but I think Aria’s ingredient list was just too uninventive for the Michelin inspector to get a star. That doesn’t change the fact that the food and service and experience was impressive and we had a great time here.
Atlas was a beautiful, upscale restaurant with an amazing menu. I feel about 60/40 on whether they will get a star or not, 60% thinking they won’t, but will get a mention, 40% thinking they will get a star. At the price point of $220, it’s similar to Georgia Boy and Lazy Betty, but the level of perfection isn’t quite there.
Kyma was a wonderful restaurant and for the price, it might be the best out of all of the restaurants we tried. The chef’s passion in culinary is evident here and I think it could get a star in the future years, but currently, I believe it will simply get a mention – which is still a huge recognition in its own right.
Conclusion
Above are the restaurants we have personally tried. Below I’d like to make an overall prediction based on the reviews and research I have done.
Green Star:
Bib Gourmand:
Little Bear
Falling Rabbit
One Star:
Two Star:
Let’s see how we do tomorrow! It’s been a fun journey trying these awesome restaurants and I can’t wait to see what Michelin comes up with!