Michelin Guide Announces 2012 Bib Gourmand Picks

On Nov. 15, the Michelin Guide will announce which restaurants made their 2012 Chicago guide, revealing which restaurants were promoted, demoted and removed entirely. The guide always offers a few surprises and head scratchers, gives chefs another excuse to party, and inevitably leads to a debate about how influential the guide really is in the States.

Anyway, today the folks at Michelin announce the inclusions in the far less exclusive and noteworthy category of Bib Gourmand. These are restaurants the guide highlights for excellence on a budget (defined as two courses and wine or dessert for $40 a head), including a number of places from last year like Urban Belly, Gilt Bar, Lula Cafe and Hopleaf. Added this year were some surprises that could have possibly received at least one star like avec, Maude's Liquor Bar and Perennial Virant. This year, all in all there are 56 inclusions (10 more than 2011), all listed below.

Chicago 2012 Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Restaurants:

Ann Sather
Arami
Avec
Belly Shack
Bistronomic
Bristol (The)
Browntrout
Ceres' Table
Cumin
De Cero
Deca
DeCOLORES
Fogon
Frontera Grill
Gemini Bistro
Gilt Bar
Girl & The Goat
Green Zebra
GT Fish & Oyster
Han 202
Hopleaf
Jaipur
Jin Thai
Kabul House
La Creperie
La Petite Folie
Lao Sze Chuan
Los Nopales
Lula Café
M. Henry
Maude's Liquor Bar
Mexique
Mixteco Grill
Mundial Cocina Mestiza
Nana
Nightwood
Opart Thai House
Owen & Engine
Paramount Room
Perennial Virant
Publican (The)
Purple Pig (The)
Raj Darbar
Riccardo Trattoria
Sen
Smak-Tak
Smoque BBQ
Sol de Mexico
Spacca Napoli
Taste of Peru
Thai Village
Twin Anchors
Urban Belly
West Town Tavern
Xni-Pec de Yucatan
Yolo