Bib Gourmands for Chicago will be announced on 11/10, tomorrow. Should be interesting.

njtb wrote:Bib Gourmands for Chicago will be announced on 11/10, tomorrow. Should be interesting.

And they're out:

Ann Sather
Belly Shack
Bistro 110
The Bristol
Browntrout
Ceres’ Table
Cumin
deca
De Cero
DeCOLORES
Frances’ Deli
Frontera Grill
Gilt Bar
Girl & The Goat
Green Zebra
Han 202
Hopleaf
Jaipur
Kith & Kin
La Creperie
La Petite Folie
Los Nopales
Lula Café
Mado
Mexique
M. Henry
Mixteco Grill
Nana
Nightwood
Opart Thai House
Otom
Paramount Room
Perennial
The Publican
The Purple Pig
Raj Darbar
Riccardo Trattoria
Smak-Tak
Smoque
Spacca Napoli
Taste of Peru
Thai Village
Twin Anchors
UrbanBelly
Veerasway
West Town Tavern

THere are a few on that list that really have me scratching my head wondering how the hell they ended up there.

The utter randomness of that list is made up for by the utter delight of finding Smak-Tak, the working definition of the culinary needle in a haystack, on it.

stevez wrote:THere are a few on that list that really have me scratching my head wondering how the hell they ended up there.

It's easy: they're all places where scaredy cat tourists won't be bothered or offended. The choice of Opart - the largest, most nicely-decorated and least tasty of all the Thai places nearby, makes it pretty clear what the list's purpose is.

Interesting list for sure, & as with any list like this there will be debate & snubs, Ill leave that discussion to others.

kudos to these spots for being recognized.

Mike G wrote:The utter randomness of that list is made up for by the utter delight of finding Smak-Tak, the working definition of the culinary needle in a haystack, on it.

Yes. There are a few needles in that haystack, but there is a bunch of farm animal excrement as well.

yeah, there are some of those...but there are also some really interesting, off the beaten path inclusions (Han 202, Smoque, DeColores, Smak Tak, Los Nopales) that make up for some of the dopier selections (Raj Darbar cracks me up, Twin Anchors is annoying ).

boudreaulicious wrote:yeah, there are some of those...but there are also some really interesting, off the beaten path inclusions (Han 202, Smoque, DeColores, Smak Tak, Los Nopales) that make up for some of the dopier selections (Raj Darbar cracks me up, Twin Anchors is annoying ).

I suppose they fit some definition of out of the way, but...
Han 202 might be the cleanest Asian restaurant south of Arun's, with the sweetest servers who speak the most quaint British-style English, and perfectly unchallenging food. They serve an amuse bouche for God's sake. Smoque has been on 10,000 TV shows. Los Nopales, like any Mexican restaurant that could make this list, is filled almost entirely with white yuppies every night. Smak Tak - well, yeah I suppose that's a little out of the way for most tourists, but compared to Podhalanka and a bunch of other potential Polish places, it's cozy, sweet and ultra-safe.

I'm trying to pick the most hilarious winner...I'm leaning towards Frances', although De Cero is a strong contender.

To me the most interesting part of the list is that there are a few restaurants on there that I would have predicted to get a star (The Publican and Frontera Grill are the best examples of this in my mind).

What a bland list.

How about a list of places that you'd expect to be bib gourmands but didn't show up, indicating that they may very well get a star:

hot doug's
big star (maybe)
franks n dawgs (maybe)

Agreed on Hot Doug's. Never been to Big Star, but I don't think Franks N Dawgs will get one.

Also missing: avec.

Because it was closed for so long? Because they thought the food at the purple pig/publican/etc was better? Or because it's getting a star?

I'm just shaking my head over Twin Anchors ... really?

I live in the neighborhood, went once and never again.

One more thing of note: apparently Michelin gets the phone numbers of every star winner in advance of the announcements, so Naret can personally notify them. They did not, apparently, request Doug Sohn's number.

gleam wrote:Also missing: avec.

Because it was closed for so long? Because they thought the food at the purple pig/publican/etc was better? Or because it's getting a star?

I can't remember when the fire was, but according the the article the Bib Gourmands were finalized in September.

SSDD

I am bewildered by the choice of de cero over Big Star or Xoxo (not a taco joint I know but still). I do wonder if that means Big Star is getting a star? Also, Hot Doug's - it must be, right?
My vote is that Avec is getting one.
And I am surprised to see Frontera here, but it makes sense I guess if Topolo ends up on the final list.
I'll chime in on the either totally bland or totally missing Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indian options. Pretty disappointing and not a good harbinger of things to come.

Trib has an article (blog post?) up about it
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/ ... ners-.html

Personally, I would think these are like the GNRs of the Michelin Guide, if you limited the GNRs by maximum price. It's what they liked, I hope, not just what they thought tourists would like. Just because we disagree on some doesn't invalidate their opinions as being theirs.

HI,

I am totally thrilled Smak Tak is on this list. It is forever on our list of places that lack appreciation. Now that it is on Michelin's list of any kind, this will promote it as well as bode well for its survival.

Regards,

While I disagree with many of their picks and think that, overall, the list is an odd hodge-podge of places, I do think that sneaking out under the cover of darkness & spray-chalking an image of the Michelin Man on the sidewalk in front of the selected restaurants' front doors for them to discover the next morning is a pretty nifty way to notify the honorees (though I can imagine what a bummer it would be to see that tubby dude looking dumbly up at you from the pavement, his goofy grin dashing your hopes of being awarded a star).

Wow! Such cynicism. Michelin inspectors have almost certainly eaten at these Bib Gourmand places more times than some of the people criticizing the list, so I consider the selections to be credible, even if I don't agree with all of them. I think it's fascinating to get the perspective of a non-Chicago-based group about our food scene. Again, I can't say I agree with everything on the list but I really appreciate it nonetheless.

My main disappointments are seeing a couple places on this list that I wish would have received stars, like The Publican and The Bristol but any recognition for them is better than none. I'm guessing that Avec will be receiving at least a star but maybe they won't. Very happy for my friends at Smoque who -- if it's possible -- will now be even busier! The Frontera choice as a Bib Gourmand is interesting since it has been so recognized by Beard but hey, that's just another non-Chicago-based group.

Really looking forward to the main announcement, which should be very interesting.

=R=

I respect the fact that others disagree with me, or call me a cynic, or whatever. But that list - if it's taken seriously - is a big step backwards for food media coverage in Chicago. It's a useless, insulting document that should be completely disregarded by anyone trying to figure out where to eat in our city. If there is any serious discussion about the list among people like us, who know about Chicago food, that discussion's purpose should be to mock the list, and warn others who might otherwise take it seriously that they should use different sources for food recommendations in Chicago.

The interview in Time Out places the list in some perspective. It is a list for tourists, and mostly European tourists at that. From that perspective, I think many of the "odd" choices make sense. There's obviously a leaning toward areas of the city where a relatively well-off Euro-tourist is going to go. And i think they are looking for a minimum of comfort and decor in the dining rooms that many here (me) don't care much about. It also seems that places that are essentially take-out and don't have liquor don't meet the bib criteria. Otherwise, Hot Doug's, one or two beef places or a taqueria might be shoo-ins. It's a solid list, overall, but a short one even compared to San Francisco....

ronnie_suburban wrote:Wow! Such cynicism. Michelin inspectors have almost certainly eaten at these Bib Gourmand places more times than some of the people criticizing the list, so I consider the selections to be credible, even if I don't agree with all of them. I think it's fascinating to get the perspective of a non-Chicago-based group about our food scene.

Ronnie's point about this list being particularly viewed from the viewpoint of a non-Chicago based group is especially true. Keeping in mind that this list is really for tourists (ostensibly the purchasers of a Michelin Guide), I'm not surprised that some LTH favorites were not included. Is it skewed toward downtown? Sure. Is it skewed toward more mainstream versions of ethnic food? Sure (after all, I don't think any guide would expect a tourist to have to navigate a secret menu at an Asian place). And is it skewed towards restaurants with established wine lists? Sure. But I don't think these things totally invalidate the list on the whole, though some inclusions, like DeCero and Frances' Deli, are total head-scratchers. On the other hand, Frontera's smackdown was well-deserved, and it shows that at least some in the Michelin camp have some idea what they're doing.

When I walked by Frontera's Bib stamp today, I can't help but feel that Carrie Nahabedian (located katty-korner from Frontera) felt a little smug not having one herself. I can't wait for the surprises on the "big" list. Shall we start predicting those? (My prediction: Mercat.)

P.S. I'm surprised not to hear outrage from the Kuma's camp. Kuma's (and Franks n' Dawgs, for that matter) represent, I think, all that foreigner think is bad and evil in American food.

P.P.S. If Avec doesn't get on the list, it will be only because of the fire. Arguably the most deserving out of the Kahan/Madia empire (sorry, Big Star).

Let's all go to Mado to celebrate! Oh, wait.

Santander wrote:Let's all go to Mado to celebrate! Oh, wait.

interesting sidenote...I tried to get a reservation at the new Mado for this coming weekend and they are booked solid. People probably had gotten wind of the coming Michelin award.

the new chef at Mado has an interesting backstory: http://chicago.grubstreet.com/2010/11/m ... omple.html

I took a walk past Han 202 on Sunday night, and the place was empty. No customers whatsoever. I've never been inside, so I can't comment on the food, but this is good press for the hood, and should help pop some business.

Good to see Decolores & Nana get a nod, too.

As for missing places, I would have liked to have seen Kuma's and Spoon Thai on the list as well. Honky Tonk BBQ too. Nothing from Chinatown?

Michelin's website doesn't list Pilsen & Bridgeport as actual areas.
http://www.michelinguide.com/us/2011_ch ... rmand.html

ronnie_suburban wrote:Wow! Such cynicism. Michelin inspectors have almost certainly eaten at these Bib Gourmand places more times than some of the people criticizing the list.

The Michelin criteria to make the Bib list is a minimum of two TOTAL visits by different inspectors -- I don't think it's a stretch to say a good amount of people on this forum have eaten at these places more often than Michelin inspectors.

Yes, I know lists and lists. Yes, I know opinions are opinions. However, you lose pretty much all credibility when you include Ann Sather, Thai Village, and Twin Anchors as Bib winners. And, yes, unfortunately, I've eaten food from these three spots more than twice each in the last year-and-a-half.

Don't forget Michelin is a business. And their business is to sell guides - period. And pandering to clueless tourists and making unpopular choices cause uproar and more press and more buzz and gets people to pay more attention to the product and makes people ultimately buy the product moreso. If it was a "perfect" list that hit every neighborhood and every universally locally lauded spot and under-appreciated gem, there would be so much less interest in the Michelin guide.

As has been noted in various postings by Sula and Tamarkin there's way too much uproar and attention to the Michelin guide. The really good LOCAL critics and LOCAL forums like LTH SHOULD carry much weight than anything Michelin puts out. Will it turn out that way? It remains to be seen. But there's no doubt the Michelin people are going to milk this for all its worth.

It's not for us...

They're only bibs...

Lists are fun to knock around*...

Time to chill.



*Except the GNRs, which is the single greatest restaurant list that God ever gave man on this earth.