2012 Michelin Bib Gourmands

The new list is here.

New Bibs include:

Arami
Avec
Fogon
Gemini Bistro
GT Fish & Oyster
Jin Thai
Kabul House
Lao Sze Chuan
Maude's Liquor Bar
Mundial Cocina Mestiza
Owen & Engine
Perennial Virant
Sen
Sol de Mexico
Xni-Pec de Yucatan
Yolo

Certainly some interesting choices on that list (in good ways and not so good ways)

I'm actually pretty impressed by their Bib Gourmand selections. Not every single one, but they have selected quite a few restaurants that are deserving but don't get extensive media hype (e.g. Kabul House, Mundial, Yolo, and the repeat winner Han 202). I like the list, overall.

I have many thoughts on this list, but Thai Village as a back-to-back Bib is the sham of shams.

nsxtasy wrote:I'm actually pretty impressed by their Bib Gourmand selections. Not every single one, but they have selected quite a few restaurants that are deserving but don't get extensive media hype (e.g. Kabul House, Mundial, Yolo, and the repeat winner Han 202). I like the list, overall.

You must feel pretty good about this list, nsxtasy, especially given that a restaurant you heartily advocated for on LTH (and which I'd never heard of before today's Bibs) -- Yolo -- made the list.

At least two of the three Mexican places are real head scratchers for me.

aschie30 wrote:You must feel pretty good about this list, nsxtasy, especially given that a restaurant you heartily advocated for on LTH (and which I'd never heard of before today's Bibs) -- Yolo -- made the list.

I like many of the choices, but not all of them. I see La Creperie is still on there.

But I think the Bib Gourmands are a far better list than their star designations, which range from the questionable (two stars for Ria) to the inscrutable (Longman & Eagle) and had numerous egregious omissions. Perhaps we'll see a better list this year.

stevez wrote:At least two of the three Mexican places are real head scratchers for me.

Three? There are five new Mexican restaurants this year, in addition to the five that are repeats from last year. I've been to five of those ten, plus a sister restaurant of a sixth. Sol de Mexico is a head scratcher for me, too, but some other people like it. Different people like different restaurants, which is no surprise. I'm just happy that my four favorite Mexican restaurants - the "three M's" and Frontera - are all on the list.

nsxtasy wrote:Perhaps we'll see a better list this year.

Maybe we will, maybe we will, especially if Sable gets a Michelin star, God-willing.

Similarly, I can't believe Opart Thai House is on the list again. I've been a couple of times and didn't think the food was that impressive.

I just cross-checked the lists and found that these restaurants that were on the list last year did not make it this year:

Bistro 110 (closed)
Frances' Deli
Kith & Kin (closed)
mado (closed)
Otom (closed)
Perennial (now Perennial Virant, which is on the 2012 list)
Veerasway (closed)


It looks like they really just added to the list, only restaurant that is still open that made the list last year didn't make the list this year is Frances' Deli. Thoughts? Do you think the Michelin reviewers just phone in this list? Or do you guys think they carefully checked each restaurant again?

Edit: Thank you to daveandrews3 and Darren72 for the correction on Otom's closing.

Like any list there are going to be questionable entries. I can't say I agree with every single GNR either.

Personally, I think it's a wonderful list and a huge time saver for me. Thanks to the inclusion of Twin Anchors and Ann Sather (and others, but these two are the most notable in my opinion), I now know that I don't need to waste any more time with Michelin.

Hurdler4eva wrote:Frances' Deli
Kith & Kin (closed)
mado (closed)
Otom
Perennial (now Perennial Virant, which is on the 2012 list)
Veerasway (closed)


It looks like they really just added to the list, only two restaurants that are still open that made the list last year didn't make the list this year (Frances' Deli and Otom). Thoughts?

Otom also closed. It's now ING. So the only Bib to not repeat is Frances'.

Hurdler4eva wrote:Similarly, I can't believe Opart Thai House is on the list again. I've been a couple of times and didn't think the food was that impressive.

I just cross-checked the lists and found that these restaurants that were on the list last year did not make it this year:

Bistro 110 (closed)
Frances' Deli
Kith & Kin (closed)
mado (closed)
Otom
Perennial (now Perennial Virant, which is on the 2012 list)
Veerasway (closed)


It looks like they really just added to the list, only two restaurants that are still open that made the list last year didn't make the list this year (Frances' Deli and Otom). Thoughts?

Otom closed.

jesteinf wrote:New Bibs include:
.
.
.
Sen

Is this a restaurant in Chicagoland? I see it on the list, but I can't seem to find any information about it anywhere.

(And the name makes me think of a certain high school cafeteria. )

nsxtasy wrote:

jesteinf wrote:New Bibs include:
.
.
.
Sen

Is this a restaurant in Chicagoland? I see it on the list, but I can't seem to find any information about it anywhere.

(And the name makes me think of a certain high school cafeteria. )

Sustainable Seafood at Sen Sushi, Oak Park

Thanks!

No wonder googling "Sen Chicago" didn't work. I tried looking in Metromix, too, but they've deleted all their information about places outside the city limits.

Interesting that Avec got a Bib and not a star. I had thought it would probably get a single star. Seems as deserving as certain other single-starred restaurants in my opinion.

Matt wrote:Interesting that Avec got a Bib and not a star. I had thought it would probably get a single star. Seems as deserving as certain other single-starred restaurants in my opinion.

Whereas for me, it's a head-scratcher to even be given a BG. But like I said, ...

nsxtasy wrote:Different people like different restaurants, which is no surprise.

I actually am not that surprised that Avec got "just" a Bib, based primarily on how it's set up (although I am sure there are other loud restaurants with uncomfortable seating and so-so service that have received stars). I recall in the main Michelin thread that there was diverging opinion about how Avec would/should shake out -- I believe you omitted it from your list of restaurants deserving a star, nsxtasy (obviously consistent with your restated views above), while someone else (I believe jesteinf) seemed fairly confident it would get a star.

I probably said that and I still stand by it. Same goes for The Publican. Grubstreet has a good take on the dynamic that may be at work.

It seems increasingly clear that Michelin is trying to hold the line on the ultraposh French dining that is the mainstay of its prestige by subtly dismissing the casualness and earthiness of so much modern American dining. How else to explain that places such as Avec, The Bristol, Nightwood, Perennial Virant and The Publican get merely the pat on the head of a Bib Gourmand designation? It is impossible to argue that there is not high skill in those kitchens, comparable at least to the one-star spots which will be named next week. Yet their approach— farm-to-table, simple cuisine— recalls not the three-star restaurants of Paris but the modest, peasanty restaurants of the French countryside.

Though this doesn't explain why a place like Les Nomades, which easily deserves at least a star, got nothing last time around.

The only thing about this process I find interesting is how they would ever "elevate" anyone, given that the Bib list comes out in advance of the star list. How do they "upgrade" Publican without either sending the world into a tizzy at them being left off or telegraphing that they were moving up? Not sure I understand why they release one list before the other...

boudreaulicious wrote:The only thing about this process I find interesting is how they would ever "elevate" anyone, given that the Bib list comes out in advance of the star list. How do they "upgrade" Publican without either sending the world into a tizzy at them being left off or telegraphing that they were moving up? Not sure I understand why they release one list before the other...

Because 2 PR blitzes are better than 1?

Obviously leaving someplace like The Publican off of the Bib list would create a stir. Just builds anticipation for the star-list release to reveal what actually happened.

jesteinf wrote:I probably said that and I still stand by it. Same goes for The Publican. Grubstreet has a good take on the dynamic that may be at work.

It seems increasingly clear that Michelin is trying to hold the line on the ultraposh French dining that is the mainstay of its prestige by subtly dismissing the casualness and earthiness of so much modern American dining. How else to explain that places such as Avec, The Bristol, Nightwood, Perennial Virant and The Publican get merely the pat on the head of a Bib Gourmand designation? It is impossible to argue that there is not high skill in those kitchens, comparable at least to the one-star spots which will be named next week. Yet their approach— farm-to-table, simple cuisine— recalls not the three-star restaurants of Paris but the modest, peasanty restaurants of the French countryside.

Then how do we explain Longman & Eagle? Maybe just the outlier.

And I am with you on both Avec and the Publican.

Well, they had to put one "gastropub" on the list, right? Maybe Longman & Eagle just came out of the hat (or beret in this case) when it came time to choose.

No Great Lake?

Darren72 wrote:

nsxtasy wrote:

jesteinf wrote:New Bibs include:
.
.
.
Sen

Is this a restaurant in Chicagoland? I see it on the list, but I can't seem to find any information about it anywhere.

(And the name makes me think of a certain high school cafeteria. )

Sustainable Seafood at Sen Sushi, Oak Park

Sen (if that's indeed the place mentioned), which is mere blocks from my house, is pretty impressive in design and service, so I can picture it delighting an outside crowd. It has some less usual Japanese comfort-food dishes, and the asparagus negamaki and tempura are quite special. They could certainly step up their tonkatsu and sashimi game, though. Happy to have them on the list.

Matt wrote:(although I am sure there are other loud restaurants with uncomfortable seating and so-so service that have received stars)

I'm not in love with Avec, but it is at least as comfortable as L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris or Momofuku Ko in New York, both of which have **. Their food is certainly at a higher level than Avec, but both offered an inferior level of service in my experience.

jfibro wrote:No Great Lake?

Perhaps they should give deep dish a try...

Matt wrote:

jesteinf wrote:I probably said that and I still stand by it. Same goes for The Publican. Grubstreet has a good take on the dynamic that may be at work.

It seems increasingly clear that Michelin is trying to hold the line on the ultraposh French dining that is the mainstay of its prestige by subtly dismissing the casualness and earthiness of so much modern American dining. How else to explain that places such as Avec, The Bristol, Nightwood, Perennial Virant and The Publican get merely the pat on the head of a Bib Gourmand designation? It is impossible to argue that there is not high skill in those kitchens, comparable at least to the one-star spots which will be named next week. Yet their approach— farm-to-table, simple cuisine— recalls not the three-star restaurants of Paris but the modest, peasanty restaurants of the French countryside.

Then how do we explain Longman & Eagle? Maybe just the outlier.

And I am with you on both Avec and the Publican.

I don't know -- there are plenty of restaurants on NY's Michelin list that are certainly casual and earthy -- look at 3-star Brooklyn Fare with its counter seating, or trendy, dark Marc Forgione or even Tori Shin -- a closet of a Japanese Yakitori joint that barely has any service, much less the polished service of the French style. Even Peter Luger's gritty, gentlemen's club-style service is far from what you would consider to be polished (as awesome as the steak is).

I myself don't understand ranking The Publican or Avec as only Bibs based on the food, but I know several non-fans who won't go to those places based upon their high noise level and the uncomfortable, hard seating.

Maybe a better question is, are there any Michelin-starred restaurants comprised almost entirely of communal seating?

aschie30 wrote:Maybe a better question is, are there any Michelin-starred restaurants comprised almost entirely of communal seating?

Tried to sort this out last year, and I think it depends on how you define "communal seating". I stuck with "you might end up eating face-to-face with a stranger who is not in your party," which means Ko, Brooklyn Fare, Masa and l'Atelier all qualify, unless you're buddies with the chefs. If you take it a step further and say, "you might end up eating face-to-face with another diner who is not in your party," I don't know of any *'d places with that arrangement.

ETA: There's also an adjacency element to bar seating that is certainly different than being at tables that are just closely spaced, especially if you're seated at a corner, which might also factor into the discussion.

jesteinf wrote:I probably said that and I still stand by it. Same goes for The Publican.

Well, it's not going to happen this year. My understanding (correct me if I'm wrong) is that they don't designate any restaurant for both the Bib Gourmand and stars in the same cycle. It's one or the other.

And as I recently stated elsewhere here on LTH, I think that the increasingly high level of talent and creativity in casual, inexpensive restaurants - the kind that receive the Bib Gourmand - is an important factor in the decline of high-end dining of the sort that typically receives Michelin stars. As I noted in the Carlos topic:

nsxtasy wrote:I think one of the biggest factors against the expansion of high-end dining is that there is so much great, creative food to be had at a fraction of the price (and, for many people, not dressing up is an attraction, too). So many of our top chefs have opened bistro type places where you can have unusual, creative food prepared by terrific chefs, without having to spend a fortune. For every TRU or Spiaggia where you'll spend $200-250/pp inclusive, there are dozens of places like Blackbird or Michael where you'll spend half that much, and dozens more like Inovasi or Sable where you'll spend barely a quarter of that price, and they're doing a good business despite the economy. This was not true as recently as 10-15 years ago, but the proliferation of fine dining cuisine at family dining prices has been remarkable (and has been accelerated by the recession, although I think it's here to stay even if and when the economy recovers).

I know Publican and Avec won't be getting stars. I was just saying that I disagree with that.