Grace Is Awarded Three Stars In The MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2015

CHICAGO, Nov. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Michelin today announced its highly regarded star selections for the fifth edition of the MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2015.

In the new edition of the MICHELIN Guide, a unique restaurant is making the leap from two to three stars: Grace, where the brilliant chef Curtis Duffy creates contemporary seasonal tasting menus that are both as modern and stylish as the setting in the West Loop. Grace joins Chicago's perennial three-star restaurant, Alinea, which maintained its rank in the 2015 edition of the MICHELIN Guide. 

"Curtis Duffy is undeniably one of the pillars of the Chicago culinary landscape, having worked with several of the city's top chefs, and also having earned two Michelin stars as chef de cuisine at Avenues in the Peninsula hotel. His cuisine is elegant and refined, showing a mastery of technique and an extraordinary harmony in textures and flavors. Grace is a stunning example of the creativity and daring that characterizes fine dining in Chicago. With the award of the third Michelin star, Curtis Duffy confirms his position as a member of the culinary elite in the country," commented Michael Ellis, international director of the MICHELIN Guide.

"This year has been particularly rich for the dining scene in the U.S. With the addition of Grace, there are now three new restaurants that have been awarded three stars for 2015, Michelin's highest honor. This clearly illustrates the remarkable evolution of the American culinary scene, which year after year affirms its position as one of the most exciting and dynamic dining destinations in the world today," Ellis added.

In the two-star category, the restaurant 42 Grams received two stars under the impressive stewardship of chef Jake Bickelhaupt, whose experience includes stints at Alinea, Charlie Trotter's and Schwa. Jake Bickelhaupt's menu is rooted in strong technique that is also creative, contemporary and experimental at times. With these restaurants, the MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2015 now counts three two-star establishments, including L20 and Sixteen, who all maintained their standing from 2014.

This year's edition also includes a total of 19 one-star restaurants, including Spiaggia, which closed in January and re-opened in May to reveal a thorough renovation in celebration of 30 years. The restaurant maintained its status with a revamped contemporary Italian menu from the newly-promoted chef Chris Marchino. The one-star level of cooking also remains at the The Lobby, where chef Seth Moliterno took over this March for outgoing chef Lee Wolen, who became the chef at one-star Boka, which also retains its same star status for 2015.

The MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2015 goes on sale Wednesday, November 12, at a price of $18.99. It features:

• 2 restaurants 3 Stars (of which 1 is new)
• 3 restaurants 2 Stars (of which 1 is new)
• 19 restaurants 1 Stars
• 59 Bib Gourmand restaurants  (of which 11 are new)

About the MICHELIN Guide

Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently around 24 countries, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining. The selections of all restaurants in the guide are made by Michelin's famously anonymous inspectors who dine in the Chicago area regularly. These local inspectors are trained to scrupulously apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated. To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality, preparation and flavors, the chef's personality as revealed through his or her cuisine, value for money, and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These objective criteria are respected by all MICHELIN guide inspectors, whether in Japan, the United States, China or Europe. They guarantee a consistent selection so that a star restaurant as the same value regardless of whether it is located in Paris, New York or Tokyo.

Michelin has been a pioneering force in advancing mobility through innovation and excellence in manufacturing quality.  The company patented the pneumatic, or air-filled, tire in the late 1800s.  This was a milestone moment in mobility, permitting automobile owners to travel at great length in a single journey.  Then, in an effort to prompt travelers to enjoy their newfound mobility, the company created guides and detailed maps to steer travelers on their way.  The most famous publication that developed from this is the internationally recognized MICHELIN guide.

Chicago MICHELIN Guide 2015
Starred establishments

Three Stars
Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey

Two Stars
Excellent cuisine, worth a detour

One Star
A very good restaurant in its category

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SOURCE Michelin

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