Michelin Selects Chicago for Destination Guide

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jul 13, 2010 3:40PM

For travelers the world over, the Michelin Guides often serve as an ultimate decoder for unfamiliar cities. For chefs, earning a star from the Michelin Guide, while not on the level of a Beard Award, is still such a significant accomplishment that many of them list the recognition in their résumés.

Michelin announced today that Chicago has been selected as a Guide Destination. It's the first time a Midwestern city has earned the recognition and only the third city in the country, behind New York and San Francisco. In announcing the selection, Michelin Guide worldwide director Jean-Luc Naret said, cited both Chicago's culinary traditions and its status as a world-class dining destination as factors for its meriting a guide. "The diversity, breadth and depth of Chicago’s restaurant and hotel scene, coupled with its rich gastronomic history, clearly mark the city and surrounding areas as the logical choice for the next North American title in the Michelin Guide series," Naret said. "We are eagerly anticipating the Michelin Guide’s entry into this wonderful city known for its cuisine, culture, beauty and innovative spirit."

The Michelin Chicago Guide is also the result of a two-year evaluation process conducted by anonymous inspectors, who checked for consistency of service, hotel amenities, food and other concessions, with no pay for play involved. Inspectors paid for all their meals and hotel stays.

The Michelin Chicago Guide will be released in November.