Independent Restaurants Across Four States Earn Honors

Several distinctive restaurants are gaining recognition while keeping their dining experiences approachable. KOJIMA, an eight-seat counter restaurant in West Los Angeles led by chef Hayato Kojima, earned a Michelin star less than a year after opening. In Greenville, South Carolina, Comal 864—known for hand-pressed tortillas and South Texas cooking—made USA TODAY’s 2025 Restaurants of the Year list after chef Dayna Lee-Márquez received a James Beard semifinalist nod in 2023. Rockford’s Plume, which serves handmade pasta and inventive Italian-inspired dishes, was named one of Illinois’ 50 best restaurants for 2026 and was the only Rockford restaurant on the list. Blue Highway Pizzeria in Micanopy, Florida, received a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation, with its scratch-made dough rested for 24 hours among the hallmarks of its pizzas.