Good stuff Scott-
160 Blue is definitely * material.{IMHO} We shall see what next year brings. I tend to agree with John that much of this is pretty silly. It does however shine the light on a part of our community that we all have pride in ( wherever we live). Moreover, a quick glance at this list tells you how far this city has come in the last 10 years. I toast to continued inertia in that regard. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
I had an incredible meal at Avenues some years ago, but I’m pretty sure Graham Elliot was there at the time. Avec and Moto are major omissions, I think, especially when you consider that other casual and/or experimental places received stars. (I much prefer those two to Sixteen.) Les Nomades, too, although traditional French restaurants aren’t really my thing. And North Pond – I had two so-so experiences there when they first opened, but two excellent meals more recently. I think the food has caught up with the incredible space/location.
Glad to see both Schwa and Crofton on Wells on there. Two personal favorites from different ends of the spectrum.
Excellent observations, Scott. Perplexing is a good word. I think that’s how the U.S. guides have been, as you say. They always seem especially stingy in the first edition. Tru, to me, is a real oversight. A genuine three-star contender recently, I would say, but certainly worthy of two for sure.
I had a terrible meal at Avenues about 8 months ago. After GE. Wouldn’t go back.
GH
Crazy. Alinea and L2O absolutely. Trotters 2 stars is based on reputaion alone. Spiaggia only getting 1 star reflects Michelin prejudice against Italian restaurants. This would be reflected in Picolo Sogno’s exclusion also. In the end this is really a spectator sport for foodies as reviews only provide a temporary jolt to business.
To nitpick the list I thought maybe Vie deserved 2-stars, and I think if it was in the city it would have received such an honor. Takashi and Bonsoiree, while good were a bit of a surprise to me. Avec missing is probably the biggest slight.
If Blackbird, Boka and Vie represent one star then I agree with leaving Avec off. Should get a Bib Gourmand though.
but include longman and eagle? that was MY point
One other point - Carlos excluded from the lst? While certainly not in my wheelhouse right now (while it is practically in my backyard) that is a bit of a surprise.
I’ve heard very little negative feedback about Avenues but haven’t been since Duffy took over.
Alinea**
L20**
**
Avenues**
Charlie Trotters
Ria**
Blackbird
Boka**
Bonsoiree**
Crofton on Wells
Everest
Graham Elliot**
Longman & Eagle**
Naha**
NoMI**
Schwa**
Seasons?
Sepia**
Sixteen**
Spiaggia
Takashi**
Topolobampo
Tru
Vie **
** = have (15/23) opened within the last 10 years. Not sure about Avenues…
I haven’t been so can’t comment on personal experience. I can see the inconsistency though. Maybe they feel the food is more inventive. Personally, I love Avec. Before kids we lived in the west loop and eat late regularly so we went there quite often.
Oh well, we booked a table at Spiaggia in a few weeks for our annual white truffle dinner so we’ll see. Scott how was L2O ? Didn’t you have a dinner there recently ?
Had a sub par meal at Boka with Bruce Stucker.
Spiaggia should have gotten 2 stars.
GH
Spiaggia has been getting destroyed but I thought the food was incredible.
George, not that I doubt your feedback, but I am curious about what was “terrible” at Avenues?
For you Chi-towners:
Is Achatz’s new time/place themed restaurant, with tickets sold and a price varying with reservation time, about to open?
How do you guys even get Schwa to respond to you other than walking in?
Any menu reccos for Girl & Goat? How is byob? I’m going early next Sunday.
Don’t think you can go wrong with pretty much anything on the menu - was there a couple weeks ago with a group and we must have tried 1/2 the menu and everything we tried was successful (start with the homemade bread and work through a couple of selections of each type). I brought a SQN and found no issue with BYO as far as I could tell (I think it ws $25 corkage with max of 2 bottles per table - same as Boka).
The dishes were ill conceived, the proteins were not cooked properly and the flavors did not work together. It was all about being different or interesting with out any thought as to how the food would actually taste. The service was poor and they pushed wine on you like a used car salesman from Jersey. I believe the meal cost us about $750 for 2.
The difference between Avenues and Graham Elliot’s is night and day. They shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath as Alinea.
GH
Different experince than we had. Our service was almost flawless, very attentive but not obtrusive. Maybe it helped that it was a THUR and more than half the place was unoccupied. One thing that the 2* will do is burden what seemed like a smallish staff. The last hands and eyes on every plate were Duffy’s and that will be hard to maintain if it gets very busy.
I thought the ingredients all went very well together, even though there seemed to be 10 in some dishes. I was concerned about that, and all the textural differences, but unlike you actually thought it tasted good when all eaten together. Actually moreso than I would have thought. My one nit was a short-rib that was a tad dry, which was due to an unusual technique.
The wine was expensive, but most top-end Chicago lists are. They didn’t push wine on us, as we brought reds, and gifting them a bottle of burg. probably greased the wheels. You must have ordered much more wine as the eight course tasting menu, with lagniappes, was “only” $125. I save chef-signed tasting menus, but forgot there, and they even sent me a signed menu in the mail.
Laurent Gras is now officially out. Different views as to why (his vs Melmans) but based on my 3 meals there I side with Melman. I emailed a friend there yesterday and said “I guess Gras will be at L2O at least in name now” and my contact relied “Don’t think so.”
His departure announced today on Eater and Food & Wine.
Mr. Melman’s comments here:
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