“I never thought it was possible that Michelin would even come to the Southeast,” said Raleigh restaurateur Chef Scott Crawford. “I sort of gave up the dream for Michelin stars by staying in the South.”

When Crawford started cooking in the region more than 25 years ago, he says he focused on building up the Capital City’s culinary scene.

Now, three of his places are listed as Recommended Michelin restaurants: Crawford and Son, Jolie and Brodeto.

“It’s the most meaningful recognition that I’ve received in my career,” said Crawford. “We’re incredibly humbled and it is a surreal moment in time for me.”

Scott Crawford commands a restaurant empire across the greater Raleigh area, with Crawford & Son as its crown jewel. For almost a decade, it’s been a primary destination for couples celebrating a special occasion, and like Poole’s, in many ways, it has set the tone for the upper echelon of the Oak City’s dining scene. The rotating cast of desserts and appetizers is just as worthy as the entrees.

Crawford himself is credited with having a heavy hand in developing Raleigh’s restaurants. He was the executive chef at Herons when the restaurant received a Forbes Five Star designation in 2008, one of only seventy-nine in the country, before opening Crawford & Son in 2016.

Scott Crawford’s Raleigh Iron Works resto is nothing short of spectacular—the dishes, the drinks, the digs and the delivery will leave you speechless. / Tucked into a humble strip of Person Street, Scott Crawford’s first born doesn’t chase trends, it sets the bar / If Crawford builds it, they will come. With its signature top-tier service and a killer bev program, this polished “redemption story” cements what we already knew: The Crawford name doesn’t miss.

No. 3: Brodeto – A restaurant that’s as adventurous as it is approachable, Brodeto has rapidly ascended in popularity. / No. 20: Crawford & Son – An institution and a crowd favorite in Raleigh for any occasion.

“Honest ingredients delivered simply and consistently with caring hospitality.” – Giorgios Bakatsias, founder/owner, Giorgios Hospitality Group / “These restaurants, and, more importantly, these chefs, are some of the standard bearers in our area” – Sunny Gerhart, chef/owner, St. Roch / “Scott Crawford’s take on Parisian food is done really well to represent classic Parisian bistro-style cooking.” – Saif Rahman, chef/co-owner, Peregrine

A hulking wooden door at this sister restaurant to Crawford & Son gives way to a dining room filled with earth tones and a quartzite slab behind the bar that’s so thin, light shines through it. Water defines Brodeto—the Adriatic Sea, to be precise. Dishes draw from Croatia and eastern and southern Italy, many of them featuring seafood from sea urchin butter to monkfish, not to mention a crudo section leading the menu. With a range of two-tops, Brodeto is ideal for lovers splurging on a special occasion dinner in the intimate back room.

Ask locals for the best place to celebrate an anniversary and Crawford & Son will likely be the most common response. Long heralded for its hospitality, the North Person Street restaurant is a standard-bearer for the city’s upper crust dining.

Six-time James Beard semifinalist Scott Crawford is a master at setting a cozy mood in his restaurants. Even if it’s still bright and sunny outside, crossing the threshold instantly drops patrons into a low-lit dining room with exposed brick walls and dark furniture dotted with candles.

Chef Scott Crawford’s French bistro Jolie is located next to its sibling restaurant, Crawford and Son, but it has a completely different look, feel, and menu. The food selection is small but tasteful and features items like steak tartare, duck cassoulet, and rabbit rillettes. The beverage list has the same limited yet impactful structure, and guests are also able to order from a selection of non-alcoholic drinks. If you’re still feeling peckish toward the end of the meal, or just craving something sweet, try the pear tarte or the dark chocolate terrine.