In the News
MICHELIN Guide | January 23rd 2026
Service at 1856 – Culinary Residence plays out like the best of fine dining spots in the US, amid a double-height wine room, gossamer glassware and a tasting menu of Frenchified regional cuisine. And then there’s the seminar’s worth of coeds helping to man the kitchen and floor.
Set on the campus of Auburn University in Alabama, 1856 – Culinary Residence is the training grounds for students in the college’s hospitality school, with eight 18- to 22-year-olds embedded in nearly every lunch and dinner shift.
This month, it became the first teaching restaurant in the country to earn a place in the MICHELIN Guide.
“For the students, it’s an unbelievable experience,” said Hans van der Reijden, one of the restaurant’s founders.
Southern Living | January 19th 2026
What Auburn has created is not simply a hotel or a culinary program. It is a fully integrated model for hospitality education, where luxury service, food innovation, and academics exist in a public-facing setting, and where guests experience the future of hospitality firsthand.
The Local Palate | Noevember 14th 2025
The restaurant operates as a teaching restaurant alongside Auburn University’s Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management, giving students firsthand experience in either back or front of house as part of their coursework.
Dishes feature vegetables, produce, and herbs from a rooftop garden handcrafted and managed by Auburn University’s Horticultural Program. This “roof to table” approach curates a seasonally-inspired tasting menu that rotates with what is readily available.
Bar & Restaurant News | November 10th 2025
Jacob Hoop, area assistant director of food and beverage at 1856 – Culinary Residence, a unique teaching restaurant in Auburn, Ala., considers an “enviable culture” in the bar, restaurant, and hospitality industry to be a benchmark for owners and operators to aspire to because of how it makes team members and guests feel”
The MICHELIN Guide | 2025
1856 – Culinary Residence is proud to be the first Michelin Recommended Restaurant in Auburn’s history, and the first teaching restaurant in the country to earn this recognition.
This is a true testament to the artistry, dedication, and thoughtful hospitality that lives within our kitchen, dining room and entire team. A special thank you to Chef Joël Antunes and to General Manager Sarah Meehan for their exceptional leadership, vision, and commitment to excellence.
Also, a congratulations to Auburn University graduates Chef Rob McDaniel and Chef Adam Evans for their continued inspiration and contributions to the Alabama culinary community.
Good Grit | August 2025
Billed as “the world’s finest teaching restaurant,” this culinary gem is the crown jewel of the Auburn University Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management program.
Here, students work alongside a James Beard Award-winning chef to turn out five-star-level dining experiences
StyleBlueprint | June 2025
Each chef’s three-night residency at 1856 – Culinary Residence will feature carefully curated menus that reflect their personal culinary philosophies.
Think of it as a crash course in the South’s most exciting kitchens, without ever leaving Auburn
Sunny Side Cecilia | June 2025
On this stay, I got the chance to try 1856 – Culinary Residence, which is also part of the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Center.
This is a teaching restaurant with a chef in residence (Chef Joël Antunes), and they offer a la carte dishes as well as a tasting menu. Greer and I had the eight-course tasting menu, and it was one of the best culinary experiences I’ve had!
My favorite dish was hands down the diver scallop risotto, but the tomato gazpacho and short rib were also delicious!
Auburn Opelika Tourism | May 2025
Why you will love Tea on Thach:
AAA EXPLORER / JAN/FEB/MAR 2025 Edition
School’s in session for Alabama wine lovers, and standing at the backboard is one of the industry’s most accomplished oenophiles with his remarkable backstory.
You needn’t be a campus coed to benefit from Price’s decades of experience, thanks to his debut public tasting classes. Classes run roughly once a month throughout the school year.
Opelika Observer | March 2025
1856 – Culinary Resience makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher!
Remember, “Pooh-sized” people NEVER lie about food. Enjoy!
East Alabama Living | December 2024
The warm ambiance and festive decor create the perfect setting for a celebration. As you sip and savor, immerse yourself in the cozy atmosphere, enhanced by the soft glow of candlelight and cheerful holiday melodies.
Join us for a memorable afternoon that captures the spirit of the season in every cup.
Southern Living / November 2024
Thomas Price, Master Sommelier at Auburn University’s 1856 – Culinary Residence, explains that because wine typically has a lower alcohol content than other alcohol varietals, it can freeze solid.
Learn more about freezing your wine!
StyleBlueprint | September 2024
1856 – Culinary Residence is listed within the Auburn-Opelika feature as one of the 5 Must-Visit Destinations in Alabama.
Garden & Gun | August / September 2024
Though young, the whole enterprise is already providing a glimmer of hope in the South for a hospitality industry.
At 1856, students serve diners such seasonal plates as foraged-mushroom gnocchi while classmates chop, stir, and sauté in its kitchen under the tutelage of each year’s chef in residence.
Good Grit/ August 26, 2024
Auburn is leading the way – Auburn’s charm extends beyond the gridiron, weaving through the historic roots of Southern hospitality and into a progressive, evolving food scene.
1856 – Culinary Residence is more than a restaurant; it’s an educational experience that emphasizes sustainability, creativity, and the art of hospitality.
Alabama Life & Culture | July 22, 2024
French chef Joel Antunes of Le Logis in Cognac, France will be the third Chef in Residence. Born and raised in southern France, Antunes earned his culinary stripes in some of France’s top restaurants.
Antunes shares his excitement with media stating that he “can’t wait to spend time in the classroom and in the kitchen, helping shape the next generation of culinary professionals”.
Southern Living | March 6, 2024
It might seem odd to go to a college campus for a high end meal, but not if you’re at 1856 – Culinary Residence at Auburn University’s new Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center. The “teaching restaurant” where students work under chefs-in-residence (currently Ford Fry) and a chef de cuisine (Thomas Baco-Wang) to create a sophisticated environment for lunch and dinner, with dishes like tagliolini with scallops, toasted garlic, parsley, and lemon.
Soul Grown | August
Students in the culinary and hospitality program get hands-on experience, learning the myriad details of running a restaurant. A chef in residence, who changes annually, oversees how fine dining and the classroom intersect at the restaurant.
Chef Ford Fry is the second Chef-In-Residence at 1856 – Culinary Residence, named for the year Auburn University was founded. An Atlanta-based chef and restauranteur, his porfolio includes nearly two-dozen mostly distinct establishments in four states.
Wine Spectator |
In summer 2022, the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center at Auburn University opened its teaching restaurant, 1856–Culinary Residence, named after the year of the university’s founding. This high-end restaurant wouldn’t be complete without wine director and instructor Thomas Price’s 650-label, Best of Award of Excellence–winning program, which focuses primarily on France, Spain, Italy, California and Oregon.
Covey Rise |
In this issue of Covey Rise, we explore the clear mission of The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University to provide world-class hospitality and an epicurean experience.
Forbes | March 23, 2023
Forbes | April 7, 2023
Travel + Leisure | January 26, 2023
Forbes | December 29, 2022
Southern Living | October 7, 2022
Style Blueprint | September 26, 2022
Wine Spectator | December 2, 2022
AL.com | June 3, 2022
