- For the first time in its five-year history, none of the 302 restaurants in Michelin Guide are in the 'burbs.
Despite being open for less than a full year, 42 Grams is one of the finest restaurants in Chicago and around the world, according to the anonymous critics of Michelin, who handed two stars to the new Uptown restaurant.
And after earning two stars in his debut last year with Grace, Curtis Duffy joined Grant Achatz's Alinea in receiving Michelin's maximum three-star designation, an honor bestowed to only 12 restaurants in the United States and 115 around the world, according to results released Tuesday. Mr. Duffy, who had worked with Mr. Achatz, also spent time in the kitchens of luminaries Charlie Trotter and Thomas Keller.
“Chicago is one of the most dynamic and exciting places to dine today,” said Michael Ellis, Michelin Guides' international director. “This year is particularly exciting. You have a young generation of chefs like Jake (Bickelhaupt of 42 Grams) and Curtis, who have worked in some of the big houses in Chicago, and they are traveling, finding new ingredients and cooking techniques and adding their own vision and artistry. The future has never looked brighter for the Chicago dining scene.”
The husband-wife team of Jake Bickelhaupt and Alexa Welsh opened 42 Grams, a fine-dining BYO, in January, featuring a multicourse tasting menu where reservations are available only via prepaid tickets. Mr. Bickelhaupt, whose resume includes stints at some of Chicago's best known and most respected restaurants — Alinea, Schwa and Charlie Trotter's — formed the idea for 42 Grams while operating underground dinners called “Sous Rising" at his home.
'UNUSUAL' 2-STAR ACHIEVEMENT
By achieving two-star status in its debut year — an “unusual feat” — 42 Grams is “one of the most exciting concepts to come out of Chicago in recent times,” Mr. Ellis said. Mr. Bickelhaupt “is almost a storyteller in what he's doing.”
Mr. Bickelhaupt said his goal from the beginning with his 18-seat 42 grams was to shoot for the stars. “I knew it either hasn't been done or would be very difficult” to achieve two stars in its debut on the list, he said. “But you have to go on faith and what they say and print. Until it actually happened, I didn't really know how important it would be to me.” He and his team celebrated with a Champagne toast.
Grace's ascension to three stars makes it one of three new three-star restaurants in the United States for 2015, joining Saison and Benu, both in the San Francisco Bay Area. Three-star mainstay the French Laundry and the Restaurant at Meadowood, both in Napa Valley, retained their three stars. New York, the only other U.S. market where Michelin prints a guidebook, had six three-star restaurants, down from seven last year after Daniel, the French restaurant owned by Daniel Boulud, was downgraded to two stars.
Mr. Ellis said Grace's rise comes as no surprise. “When I ate there shortly after (Mr. Duffy) opened Grace, I said to myself, 'This guy is going to go to three stars very quickly,' ” Mr. Ellis said. “I can argue that we couldn't give him three stars right when he opened, but in his second year in, he's got it all together.”
24 CHICAGO RESTAURANTS AWARDED STARS
In all, Michelin awarded stars to 24 Chicago restaurants for 2015, down from 25 this year.
42 Grams was the lone newcomer to the list, while all other one- and two-star restaurants retained their standing, aside from two-star Graham Elliot, which closed, and Carlos Guytan's one-star Mexique.
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc.'s L2O, slated to close at the end of the year, received two stars again, as did Thomas Lents' Sixteen, in the Trump International Hotel & Tower.
As was the case in 2014 and 2013, no suburban restaurants received stars.
In the Michelin system, restaurants are awarded one star ("a very good restaurant in its category"), two stars ("excellent cuisine, worth a detour"), or three stars ("exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey").
Chicago still lags New York and San Francisco in Michelin recognition: Seventy-three New York restaurants and 40 Bay Area restaurants earned stars for 2015.
The French tire manufacturer and travel guide producer also culled the herd of Chicago restaurants to receive Bib Gourmand designations for 2015. Fifty-nine Chicago restaurants — none in the suburbs — received the coveted stamp of approval by Michelin for its 2015 guide, down from 69 in 2014.
The Bib Gourmands, which are released a week in advance of the guide, are awarded to restaurants that deliver "quality food for an affordable price" (two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less, excluding tax and tip). The more prestigious star designations, the gold standard of the restaurant industry, are awarded to restaurants that Michelin's anonymous inspectors deem a cut above the rest.
The 2015 guide is available online and in bookstores tomorrow.
The full list of Michelin stars awards:
Three stars
- Alinea
- Grace*
Two stars
- L2O**
- Sixteen
- 42 Grams***
One star
- Acadia
- Blackbird
- Boka
- EL Ideas
- Elizabeth
- Everest
- Goosefoot
- The Lobby
- Longman & Eagle
- Moto
- Naha
- North Pond
- Schwa
- Senza
- Sepia
- Spiaggia
- Takashi
- Topolobampo
- Tru
*Elevated from two stars last year
**Slated to close at the end of 2014
***New entrant
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