Michelin Guide Reveals Chicago's 2013 Bib Gourmands

On Nov. 14, the Michelin Guide will announce which restaurants made their 2013 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 Girl & The Goat, Ceres' Table, Twin Anchors and Nightwood. This year's list includes 19 new spots including Ada St., Au Cheval, Lao Hunan, Pump Room and Untitled. But it also sees some spots dropping off.

Surprisingly off the list: Lula Cafe, Mexique and Perennial Virant. Is it possible they're getting stars? Or do they not fit the $40-a-head criteria? All in all, 11 restaurants fell off the Bib Gourmand list, including Arami, Fogon, Hopleaf, La Creperie, Thai Village, m. henry, Mundial Cocina Mestiza and Taste of Peru. Definitely some surprises.

This year, there are 64 inclusions (last year had 56) with 22 types of cuisine listed (one more than last year), all listed below.

Chicago 2013 Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Restaurants:

*Ada St.
Ann Sather
*Antique Taco
*Au Cheval
Avec
*Balena
Belly Shack
Bistronomic
The Bristol
Browntrout
Ceres' Table
*Chilam Balam
*City Tavern
Cumin
deca
De Cero
deCOLORES
Frontera Grill
Gemini Bistro
Gilt Bar
Girl & The Goat
Green Zebra
GT Fish & Oyster
Han 202
Jaipur
*Jam
Jin Thai
Kabul House
*Kai Zan
*Lao Hunan
Lao Sze Chuan
La Petite Folie
Los Nopales
*Maison
*Marion Street Cheese Market
Maude's Liquor Bar
Mixteco Grill
Nana
Nightwood
Opart Thai House
Owen & Engine
Paramount Room
The Publican
*Pump Room
The Purple Pig
*Q BBQ
Raj Darbar
Riccardo Trattoria
*The Savoy
Sen
*Slurping Turtle
Smak-Tak
Smoque BBQ
Sol de Mexico
Spacca Napoli
*Storefront Company
Twin Anchors
*Untitled
Urban Belly
*Urban Union
West Town Tavern
*Wood
Xni-Pec de Yucatan
Yolo

* = newly added to list