Julia Sullivan is no stranger to the Michelin awards. Having worked at Michelin-starred restaurants, Per Se and Blue Hill at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in New York, she knows the sacrifice and long hours that go into maintaining a star.
But Sullivan was truly surprised when her own restaurant, Judith, in the heart of Sewanee, Tennessee, was awarded a Michelin recommended status late last year.
“We did not know. I had no idea,” Sullivan said while sitting in the bright dining room of her restaurant. “I actually don’t think I realized that they would potentially be coming in. And then we received an email saying something sort of cryptic that we were invited to an event, and we sent in pictures and information about the restaurant.”
(READ MORE: Restaurant Scene: St. Elmo’s Little Coyote wins Michelin recognition)
The team didn’t find out what that invitation meant exactly until they arrived in Greenville, South Carolina. Last year’s Michelin award winners were leaked ahead of the ceremony, but that didn’t stop anyone from having a good time.
“We did go to the event and had a great time, and yeah, it’s an honor obviously,” Sullivan said.
Photo by Lyric Lewin / The exterior of the restaurant Judith in Sewanee is pictured here on June 26, 2026.
Sullivan drives back and forth between her Nashville restaurant, Henrietta Red, and Judith in Sewanee.
An hour and a half from Nashville and a 50-minute drive from downtown Chattanooga will get you to Monteagle Mountain where the University of the South is located. Judith Ward Lineback was the first woman to matriculate to the school in 1969. The restaurant is named in her honor.
Sullivan’s dad attended the university, and she grew up visiting the idyllic Sewanee area to hike and stay in cabins with her family and friends.
Since opening the restaurant she’s worked to incorporate produce from the local food hub, chanterelles from Midway Mushrooms, eggs from Sequatchie Cove Farm and other foraged treasures brought in by staff members.
Photo by Lyric Lewin / Freshly made bread with infused olive oil and a glass of wine are seen at the restaurant Judith in Sewanee. Pictured here on June 26, 2026.
Sullivan wants the restaurant to be accessible for a wide variety of customers. Whether you’re a college student who is craving a smashburger, a group of friends gathering for cocktails at happy hour, or celebrating an engagement, this is the spot for you.
(READ MORE: Restaurant Scene: Chef Julia Sullivan’s new restaurant, Judith, is worth the drive)
“I try to make food that’s really flavorful and complex without being fussy or overdone,” Sullivan said. “I think that I do really enjoy changing things with seasonality and kind of pairing things back to enjoy what’s available.”
Sullivan’s home made breads and pastas showcase that comforting factor. Her cooking is instinctual, feminine and elemental.
“We’re really organically growing and even though it’s been a slow growth I just really keep looking forward to what the restaurant can do.”
She was born and raised in Nashville, but said she’s never particularly identified with being a Southern chef.
“But,” she said, “I feel like being up here is pulling it out of me a little bit more.” She’s learned from her time in Sewanee that “it’s a place where people hold tightly to tradition” — and she and her team are excited to help create new ones.
Contact restaurants reporter Lyric Lewin at llewin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6216.
