7 new Bib Gourmand restaurants added to Michelin Guide’s roster for Chicago
Seven Chicago restaurants were given first-time Bib Gourmand designation by the Michelin Guide Tuesday.
The Bib Gourmand is meant to signal restaurants that offer quality food at more affordable prices than the fine-dining establishments typically awarded the much rarer Michelin stars. The restaurants announced Tuesday will not be awarded stars, but the global taste maker still deems them worth visiting.
The announcement precedes Michelin’s April 5 announcement of Chicago restaurants earning stars in 2022. The full list of Chicago restaurants with a Bib Gourmand recommendation — 55 in all — will also be released that day.
Restaurants given Bib Gourmand distinction offer “a full menu of a starter, main course and dessert, making it possible to order two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for around $40 or less,” not counting tax and gratuity, Michelin said in a news release.
Restaurants given first-time Bib Gourmand distinction, with edited comment from the Michelin Guide, are:
Apolonia (South Loop; contemporary cuisine): The Michelin guide applauded this “cool and chic” restaurant for straightforward, exemplary cook that is “poised for sharing.” Read Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger’s review here.
Bloom Plant Based Kitchen (Wicker Park; vegan cuisine): “A menu full of flavor and textural complexity.”
Dear Margaret (Lakeview; contemporary cuisine): Michelin officials lauded Dear Margaret’s “French-Canadian menu that goes beyond poutine and cheese curds. Comfort and decadence are at the heart of such shareable plates as an heirloom tomato salad starring fromage blanc, pickled shallots, and dressed with black garlic-ice wine vinegar.” Read Tribune critic Louisa Chu’s review here.
Lardon (Logan Square; deli cuisine): “Specializing in whole-hog, snout-to-tail butchery, this all-day salumeria offers a dazzling selection of charcuterie arranged on wooden boards or layered on soft bread,” the Michelin guide said. Read our review here.
Sochi Saigonese Kitchen (Lakeview; Vietnamese cuisine): “Dishes display immense depth, so come hungry.”
Superkhana International (Logan Square; Indian cuisine): The Michelin Guide found Superkhana to be “flexible and fun, which is also how we’d describe the cooking. Indian flavors are mixed and mashed in traditional and unconventional ways.” Read our review here.
Tortello Pastificio (Wicker Park; Italian cuisine): “A world where pasta is king. This team is not out to revolutionize Italian food; instead, they are trying to correct some of its misinterpretations. And the results, while simple, are always delicious.”
Three Chicago restaurants were first-time recipients of Michelin stars in 2021. Alinea remained Chicago’s only restaurant with a three-star rating from the Michelin Guide and Smyth, Oriole and Acadia (which has since closed) were all given two stars. Seventeen restaurants maintained one-star ratings from 2020.
Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here.
