ronnie_suburban wrote:As long we're all speculating about this leaked information, it doesn't seem accurate to me that Chicago would only have 23 total starred restaurants (as the leaked list indicates) when San Francisco had 44 and New York had 57. It seems odd that Michelin would even produce a Chicago guide if they only found 23 total places here that were worthy of any stars at all.

=R=

Sounds possible to me, actually, though I'd hope for more myself as well.

David Hammond wrote:

Kennyz wrote:What this proves is that as disturbing as it is that people care what Michelin says, it's far more disturbing that they care what 312diningdiva or Julia Kramer say.

Odd, then, that you directed a newbie to the Michelin Bib Gourmand list earlier today. Wait...am I speaking with Good Kenny or Evil Kenny?

An acquaintance recently visited Chicago and said he wanted pizza for dinner. I gave him a list of good pizza places near his hotel, and he said no - he prefers to heat up a frozen pizza in the microwave of his hotel room. I found this disturbing, but did not hesitate to tell him where he could find a frozen pizza nearby. People as Good as I are able to look past our own dislikes for the benefit of others.

Kennyz wrote:

David Hammond wrote:

Kennyz wrote:What this proves is that as disturbing as it is that people care what Michelin says, it's far more disturbing that they care what 312diningdiva or Julia Kramer say.

Odd, then, that you directed a newbie to the Michelin Bib Gourmand list earlier today. Wait...am I speaking with Good Kenny or Evil Kenny?

An acquaintance recently visited Chicago and said he wanted pizza for dinner. I gave him a list of good pizza places near his hotel, and he said no - he prefers to heat up a frozen pizza in the microwave of his hotel room. I found this disturbing, but did not hesitate to tell him where he could find a frozen pizza nearby. People as Good as I are able to look past our own dislikes for the benefit of others.

You sound different. Is there another Kenny in there?

According to Tasting Table Chicago, "Michelin moving everything forward by 24 hours. Stars being announced tomorrow."

So, either this "leak" hit too close to home, or it's causing enough consternation that they feel they must react. Either way, it's certainly strange.

kl1191 wrote:According to Tasting Table Chicago, "Michelin moving everything forward by 24 hours. Stars being announced tomorrow."

So, either this "leak" hit too close to home, or it's causing enough consternation that they feel they must react. Either way, it's certainly strange.

Or one has nothing to do with the other.

Jeff Ruby at Chicago Magazine asked a few local-area food experts (and me) to make some predictions about the Chicago Michelin Guide . . .

Which Chicago Restaurants Will Land on the Michelin Guide?

Figured I better post this now, in case they decide to release the information tonight!

=R=

Darren72 wrote:

kl1191 wrote:According to Tasting Table Chicago, "Michelin moving everything forward by 24 hours. Stars being announced tomorrow."

So, either this "leak" hit too close to home, or it's causing enough consternation that they feel they must react. Either way, it's certainly strange.

Or one has nothing to do with the other.

Yes, perhaps they just happened to space on the date...can you think of any good reason that they would have moved up the release by a day? Or, are you just here to be contrarian.

Santander wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:As long we're all speculating about this leaked information, it doesn't seem accurate to me that Chicago would only have 23 total starred restaurants (as the leaked list indicates) when San Francisco had 44 and New York had 57. It seems odd that Michelin would even produce a Chicago guide if they only found 23 total places here that were worthy of any stars at all.

=R=

Sounds possible to me, actually, though I'd hope for more myself as well.

I agree. I don't think the number of restaurants that are ultimately included in the guide has any real impact on sales either way. Whether there are 30 one stars or 130 one stars, it's still the Michelin guide for Chicago. For international tourists. I think Michelin came to Chicago for one reason: Alinea. The potential to add more three-stars to their arsenal is the raison d'etre for the Michelin guide.

Anyway, I really don't expect any Micheliner or NYer, for that matter, to have a come-to-Jesus realization that Chicago is more than just flyover country, and that they will treat us according to their prejudices going in to the review process. I hope I'm wrong.

kl1191 wrote:Or, are you just here to be contrarian.

I like to think of myself as someone who doesn't assume the world revolves around some anonymous guy on Yelp.

In any case, I cannot wait for this list to be released (despite it's 50% batting average on our recent trip to France). The suspense is killing me and my wife just wants to know where we are going to eat this weekend.

Darren72 wrote:

kl1191 wrote:Or, are you just here to be contrarian.

I like to think of myself as someone who doesn't assume the world revolves around some anonymous guy on Yelp.

Books are known to break their street date, and it stopped being "some anonymous guy on Yelp" when it was repeated/commented on by some of the city's biggest chefs. I'll stick with the assumption that the most likely reason for a last minute schedule change is something that happened today...either the "leak" or the over-reaction to it.

Darren72 wrote:In any case, I cannot wait for this list to be released (despite it's 50% batting average on our recent trip to France). The suspense is killing me and my wife just wants to know where we are going to eat this weekend.

I'm very eager to see which standard the restaurants of Chicago are going to be held to. The only meal I've had here that would approach the ***s I've visited in France (Arnsbourg, Astrance, Bocuse) would be Alinea. I'd put the likes of Everest and Les Nomades (...even Topolobampo when it's on) into French ** territory, easily better than the likes of L'Atelier in Paris, for example. But each of these would blow several of the NYC **s out of the water. From Ron's list of 2 stars, I don't think Blackbird, Graham Elliot or Moto sniff ** in France, but 2 out of 3 probably get ** in NYC. Just my opinion though...thankfully we have 24 fewer hours to wait to find out what actually happens...

Most books, CDs, DVDs have Tuesday drop dates. It could just be that somebody in Michelin marketing forgot about that when they set the Wednesday date.
It would be pretty bad form to have the books show up at Borders a day before the press conference.

Best Guess:

***
Alinea
L20

**
Avenues
Charlie Trotters
Ria

*
Blackbird
Boka
Bonsoiree
Crofton on Wells
Everest
Graham Elliot
Longman & Eagle
NAHA
NoMI
Schwa
Seasons
Sepia
Sixteen
Spaiggia
Takashi
Topolobombo
Tru
Vie

Looking at the various predictions (here, Trib), is Moto deemed too wacky?

Crain's Chicago Business claims to have a leak stating that L2O and Alinea each get 3.
Trotter, Avenues, Ria get two,
18 restaurants including Blackbird, Topolobompo, Longman & Eagle, Schwa and Vie get 1.

We shall see in about an hour if they're right.

Crain's is just reporting on what the yelper said. No one else has independently confirmed his list, they're all just parroting it.

Boka and Bonsoiree are confirmed to have received * according to their chefs on Twitter...so far nothing to refute the leak.

gleam wrote:Crain's is just reporting on what the yelper said. No one else has independently confirmed his list, they're all just parroting it.

Including studmuffin, in his or her best guess.

kl1191 wrote:Boka and Bonsoiree are confirmed to have received * according to their chefs on Twitter...so far nothing to refute the leak.

As has NoMI.

Full list is up. Yelp guy was right.

From Eater

Good write-up by Phil Vettel on winners with some interesting quotes.

Kahan's opinion on Avec not getting a star

Edited to fix link

Les Nomades is a HUGE omission and Tru is being underrated, but it's really not a bad list for what it is.

The two biggest surprises to me are Ria (a restaurant virtually ignored on this site) and Longman and Eagle. I like L & E a lot, but I wouldn't consider it destination dining or in the same league as many of the other single-star restaurants.

aschie30 wrote:Kahan's opinion on Avec not getting a star

Edited to fix link

This is worth seeing writ large.

Perhaps leaving out Arun's will earn the guide some credibility.

aschie30 wrote:Kahan's opinion on Avec not getting a star

Edited to fix link

In the begining, they didn't understand the clash either. Avec rules.

Avec would be on my shortlist for my favorite restaurant in Chicago. It is the definition of what the Bib Gourmand aims for.

jesteinf wrote:Les Nomades is a HUGE omission and Tru is being underrated, but it's really not a bad list for what it is.

I agree. It certainly casts in a curious light L2O and Gras' "leave of absence" (it still is officially a leave of absence, no?). Given some lukewarm reviews on L2O's food here and elsewhere, I wonder if, for the three-month-or-so period the Michelin folks were in town, Gras and his staff just pulled their butts in gear, and everyone worked above capacity for that time period. I think Gras certainly has the ability to operate at a three-star level, if he can get over his inherent French laziness.

Sounds like more of a pamphlet than a guide book.

Possible bright side? No excessively giant lines at Avec when I want to eat there?

My husband refers to our dinner at L20 as our "John McCain experience." 2 of us in the small private room with the really tall ceilings....

Avec is among my favorites, but the Clash comparison is hubris.

The list clearly is very short at the 1 star and Bib end, with a bunch of obvious, objectively inexplicable omissions. Is it possible that the raters found Chicago to be so inscrutable? They obviously leave places off to add them next year and have "new" info to sell books. But still. The broad base of solid, relatively affordable places in Chicago is an aspect visitors often note. In fact, I thought the Michelin guy did as well. Even on a per capita/pound for pound basis the numbers at the base of the pyramid seem out of whack compared to NY and SF.