The Michelin Guide Comes To Atlanta, No Stars for Black Restaurants/Chef, Black ATLiens Purport Racism

[UberEatsDriver]

ATL? They all cook the same shyt. Chicken and waffles, oxtail, Mac n cheese stuffed drumsticks, etc

And have restaurants called “The Trap”

 

[invalid]

how tf is Georgia Browns on that list??

What's wrong with it? Looks legit.

 

[invalid]

The awards and stars from that segment of the food industry are highly subjective.

Can you clarify? Is it the criteria used for measurement that's subjective or do you mean the actual opinions on whether a chef or restaurants meets those requirement as being subjective? If the latter, isn't that just plain old professional judgement? In other words, where is the line between objective and subjective opinion?

For instance, if presentation is used as a metric.
Would you say presentation is a subjective metric because black folks don't really judge cuisine by how it's presented? Or would you say the opinion on which of the below dishes best measures up to the ideals behind presentation is subjective?

 

[Lucky_Lefty]

What's wrong with it? Looks legit.

Now go taste the food. Unless they’ve flipped that menu, all hype

 

[Lucky_Lefty]

ATL? They all cook the same shyt. Chicken and waffles, oxtail, Mac n cheese stuffed drumsticks, etc

Don’t forget crab legs. Panola ain’t shyt but one big ass seafood boil. Word to @daemonova

 

[Sad Bunny]

There's a story to be told here but it should be done by the local or black owned media outlet, not Bloomberg. It just comes off as pandering for engagement.

 

[Sad Bunny]

They must not have tried the crack wings at the bando

 

[Batsute]

The awards and stars from that segment of the food industry are highly subjective.

Yep, and don’t know if it changed but they were highly preferential to French and traditional European cuisine.

 

[3rdWorld]

The Michelin star is typical racist French faq bias..it's akin to France football magazine and the bullshyt Ballon D'or.

 

[invalid]

There's a story to be told here but it should be done by the local or black owned media outlet, not Bloomberg. It just comes off as pandering for engagement.

Could the bloomberg journalist reporting the story be black? Would that make this valid?

 

[invalid]

And the guide failed to award stars to any restaurant that is Black-owned or with a kitchen run by a Black chef, in a city where traditional African American cooking is crucial to the local food scene. It continues a trend that has seen only six Black chefs be awarded a Michelin star.

“Atlanta is a diverse city, and, relatedly, we are highlighting more than just classic Southern cuisine,” said the chief inspector for North America, who spoke anonymously because of their position. They pointed to three Black-led restaurants on the list although none received higher distinction than Bib Gourmand, the “cheap eat” category, or “recommended,” which is an all-purpose designation for any restaurant Michelin wants to recognize without awards.

Read More: As Michelin Expands, Black Chefs Continue to Miss Out on Stars


One of the stand-out, and Black-owned Bib Gourmand winners, is the Busy Bee. The iconic Atlanta cafe, operated by Tracy Gates, has been around since the late 1940s, serving daily changing specials such as pan-fried cubed steak (on Tuesdays), chicken and waffles and fried catfish.

Another Bib Gourmand winner is Bomb Biscuit Co., which specializes in its namesake product with sandwiches like SEC (sausage, egg and American cheese) and the Pimento Chick, with chicken sausage and melty cheese, as well as platters, like hash and eggs. The chef and owner Erika Council’s grandmother Geraldine Dortch hosted bake sales to raise money for the Civil Rights movement.

The five restaurants that were awarded one star prioritize American and Japanese cooking.

One is the esteemed, 30-year-old Bacchanalia, from chefs Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison, who prioritize local products including vegetables from their Summerland Farm in Cartersville, Georgia, and dairy products. The tasting menu offers dishes like poached lobster accompanied by potato, corn and chorizo, and duck with espresso and butternut squash. Another winner is Lazy Betty, where chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips serve a modern American $110, 4-course menu with options including roasted lamb loin with crusted salsify and onion tapenade. At Hayakawa in Midtown, chef Atsushi Hayakawa serves an omakase menu at his small sushi counter that goes for $315.

Among the restaurants missing from Michelin’s list are One Flew South which has outposts at both Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and now in the Beltline (it made travelers actually want to go to the airport). Chef Todd Richards offers dishes like green beet soup with miso cream, and coffee-rubbed lamb ribs with fig puree.

Richards, also culinary director at Jackmont Hospitality, said it's important for reviewers like Michelin to recognize the cooking traditions in Atlanta and the South. “The techniques that we utilize in Southern and soul food are still the same techniques that are used in French, German, Chinese, Japanese — we all use the same techniques,” Richards said in an interview.

He noted though that until Black chefs receive the same financial backing to start their own restaurants as chefs from other backgrounds, no list can be truly representative. “Until all those opportunities are equal across the board, we're not going to necessarily see the amount of of Black-owned restaurants that you would think that the city would have, especially with such a large Black population."

At the live event in Atlanta on Tuesday evening, Michelin also gave out a handful of other awards. Among them was the Sommelier award which went to The Chastain’s Juan Fernando Cortés. They also bestowed two Green stars, which highlight eco-friendly practices. One went to Bacchanalia for its emphasis on the farm and notable composting program, the other to The Chastain, where there’s a regenerative garden and another ambitious composting program.

@ViShawn Black-owned Busy Bee and Bomb Biscuit won the Bib Gourmand award.

 

[24 Hr. Finesse]

how tf is Georgia Browns on that list??

Now go taste the food. Unless they’ve flipped that menu, all hype

Same thing i thought. And i go when im in DC foods usually good wouldnta thought it was Michelin level
same with Beatstro, Melbas, & Spoonbread in the city. Beatstro a vibe tho as they say
Luellas is bougie ass white ppl soul food and fried chicken. uh uh

 

[Kyle C. Barker]

What's wrong with it? Looks legit.

With Michelin, it comes down to the actual menu. The place I mentioned earlier isn't exactly the most decadent place in the area but the menu slaps

 

[coldcall]

Could the bloomberg journalist reporting the story be black? Would that make this valid?

No. The topic is too niche and sensitive for a bloomberg Instagram post. Just look at the comments on the post most are dismissive or racist af which is predictable. The reporting would be valid if bloomberg was based in Atlanta (or even the south) or if they had a significant black audience.

 

[invalid]

With Michelin, it comes down to the actual menu. The place I mentioned earlier isn't exactly the most decadent place in the area but the menu slaps

I think its levels. For a restaurant to attain *one star*, I think the focus is around the menu, chef, and service.

However, for a restaurant to maintain its star or to receive multiple stars, everything is considered.

4. Investment​

While it may be tempting to bank a restaurant’s profits, that’s not going to win a Michelin star. The key is to use those profits to further invest in the restaurant to improve the decor, better train staff, source higher-quality ingredients, etc. If a Michelin inspector sees a restaurant, no matter how good, constantly striving to improve instead of simply resting on its laurels, this could make all the difference. It’s not unheard of for a restaurant to spend millions on improvements and then earn the money back (and then some) thanks to the increased revenues that can come from a Michelin star.

https://www.foodnetwork.ca/article/what-it-takes-to-become-a-1-2-or-3-michelin-star-restaurant/