Chicago's 2015 Michelin Bib Gourmands Released
By Melissa McEwen in Food on Nov 5, 2014 8:00PM
Dolsot bi bim bop, short rib, pickled ramps, red kale, duck egg, foie gras from Parachute, which is a new addition to the list (L. Stolpman)
Michelin might be famous for its stars, but their Bib Gourmand list, which aims to highlight great restaurants that are more affordably priced than their starred compatriots, is equally anticipated. Of course that last part tends to be relative, especially since some restaurants like Mexique end up promoted to a star without much change to their pricing. Because of that, the release of the list often means star-aspiring restaurants that remain on the list know they won't make the jump this year. Other restaurants that dropped off the list can hope they were promoted.
But not many of this year's drops seem like one-star candidates. Mexique was unusual on the list in the first place because it was an unapologetically white-table cloth fine dining restaurant. Can a pub like Owen & Engine enter the stars like Longman & Eagle? We'll find out when the Michelin stars are released later this month. Another trend seems to be Michelin is pulling away from the 'burbs, portended by last year's lost star for Vie. The Gourmand losses are also very suburban, with restaurants like Found in Evanston, Autre Monde in Berwyn and Kabul House in Skokie. That's a shame since towns like Evanston have growing restaurant scenes.
This year's lost Gourmands
Ada St.
Antique Taco
ATK
Autre Monde
Deca
Found
Gemini Bistro
Juno
Kabul House
Kama Indian Bistro
Libertad
Marion Street Cheese Market
Mercat a la Planxa
Nabuki
Opart Thai House
Owen & Engine
Q BBQ
Sen
Smak-Tak
Sol de Mexico
Urban Belly
Yolo
The additions to the list also rule out some possible contenders like critically-acclaimed Parachute from star contention for this round at least. The additions are rounded out by many favorites we also love like Herb, Two, and Table, Donkey, and Stick.
New Gourmands:
A10
Azzurra EnoTavola
Beatrix
Carriage House
The Dawson
Dusek's (Board & Beer)
Herb
Parachute
Sol de Mexico
Table, Donkey and Stick
Untitled
TWO
The Full List:
Arami
A10
Au Cheval
Avec
Azzurra EnoTavola
Balena
Beatrix
bellyQ
Belly Shack
Browntrout
Carriage House
Ceres' Table
Chilam Balam
County
Cumin
The Dawson
DeCOLORES
Dusek's (Board & Beer)
Fat Rice
Frontera Grill
Gather
Gilt Bar
Girl & The Goat
Green Zebra
GT Fish & Oyster
Han 202
Herb
Homestyle Taste
Hopleaf
Jaipur
Jam
Jin Thai
Kai Zan
Kurah
Lao Hunan
Lao Sze Chuan
Lula Café
Mana Food Bar
Maude's Liquor Bar
Mixteco Grill
Mott St.
Nana
Nightwood
Parachute
Paramount Room
The Publican
Pump Room
The Purple Pig
Riccardo Trattoria
Slurping Turtle
Smoque BBQ
Sol de Mexico
Spacca Napoli
Sushi Dokku
Table, Donkey and Stick
TAC Quick
Untitled
TWO
Wood