2015 Chicago Michelin Bib Gourmands Revealed

Chicago Michelin season is officially underway, as the Michelin Guide's 2015 list of Chicago Bib Gourmands—essentially the Michelin-approved less expensive restaurants—have been revealed. The Michelin Guide describes them as "restaurants that serve two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less" and "are the restaurants that the Michelin inspectors frequent themselves."

This year's Bib Gourmand list sees a major drop in overall Chicago restaurants as well as new restaurants that the Michelin inspectors added to the list. Last year's list included 69 restaurants while this year's has just 59. Inspectors added 21 new restaurants last year but added just 11 this year.

Some big players made it onto the list this year: Matthias Merges' A10, Dusek's, Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark's Parachute, Carriage House (despite the exit of chef Mark Steuer), The Dawson, Beatrix, Untitled, Table Donkey & Stick, TWO, Herb, and Azzurra are all honored by Michelin for the first time.

Some major players also dropped off the list. Mercat a la Planxa, Found, Ada Street, Urban Belly, Juno (which was closed for nearly eight months due to a fire), Antique Taco, Autre Monde, Owen & Engine, Libertad, Gemini Bistro, Q BBQ (in La Grange) and Marion Street Cheese Market were all removed.

The possibility always exists that restaurants were left off the Bib Gourmand list because they were bumped up to star status.

Read the full list of 2015 Bib Gourmands below; the Michelin stars for Chicago will be revealed on November 11.

Arami
A10 * 
Au Cheval
Avec
Azzurra EnoTavola * 
Balena
Beatrix * 
bellyQ 
Belly Shack
Browntrout
Carriage House * 
Ceres' Table
Chilam Balam
County 
Cumin
The Dawson * 
DeCOLORES 
Dusek's (Board & Beer) * 
Fat Rice
Frontera Grill 
Gather 
Gilt Bar
Girl & The Goat 
Green Zebra
GT Fish & Oyster 
Han 202 
Herb * 
Homestyle Taste 
Hopleaf 
Jaipur 
Jam
Jin Thai 
Kai Zan 
Kurah 
Lao Hunan
Lao Sze Chuan
Lula Café 
Mana Food Bar
Maude's Liquor Bar
Mixteco Grill 
Mott St. 
Nana
Nightwood 
Parachute * 
Paramount Room 
The Publican
Pump Room 
The Purple Pig
Riccardo Trattoria 
Slurping Turtle
Smoque BBQ 
Sol de Mexico 
Spacca Napoli
Sushi Dokku 
Table, Donkey and Stick * 
TAC Quick
Untitled * 
TWO * 
Wood

* = added to the 2015 list

[Edit Note: Untitled gained a Bib Gourmand in the 2013 guide so this is not its first honor.]

Eater Video: The Michelin Guide Explained