It’s that time of year again: Today, the preeminent national restaurant tastemaking and tire-manufacturing outlet released its 2017 guide to Chicago’s dining scene. The annual affair awards up to three stars to the city’s finest dining options, and for once, a lot of new places got some love: Oriole (two stars), Band of Bohemia, GreenRiver, Roister, and Smyth (all at one). Plus, the stalwart Tru got a bump from one star to two. Here’s a rundown of this year’s guide.
Three stars
Alinea
It closed to reinvent itself earlier this year. It came back even better.
Grace
Grace entered Michelin’s guide at two stars but was upgraded to three in 2015, which prompted us to reconsider its rating in our own restaurant guide.
Two stars
Acadia
Chef Ryan McCaskey’s South Loop spot got upgraded to two stars last year. Watch him work some magic on duck.
42 Grams
It’s a wondrous underground dinner party gone above ground. More in our 2014 Best New Restaurants guide.
Oriole
This 2016 debut was outstanding upon arrival, a consensus four-star restaurant among the city’s critics.
Sixteen
Thomas Lents prepares some of the most imaginative tasting menus in town from his perch high up Trump Tower—just watch him bake a scallop.
Tru
Newly upgraded from one star, Tru deserves two stars for this insane roasted marshmallow dessert alone.
One star
Band of Bohemia
Yes, a brewpub now has a Michelin star, but trust us, this is not just any old brewpub.
Blackbird
One Off Hospitality (Avec, Publican) goes haute here, but don’t sleep on the excellent cocktails.
Boka
Great room, even better food thanks to Lee Wolen’s deftness at balancing flavors.
Dusek’s Board & Beer
Casual, beer-focused–and Chicago’s favorite new restaurant in 2014.
EL Ideas
Is it a BYO in the middle of nowhere? Yeah. But can Phillip Foss blow your mind with inventive, energetic cooking? Absolutely.
Elizabeth Restaurant
Iliana Regan tells her story through this intimate Lincoln Square spot, and it sounds a lot like what we want Midwestern cuisine to be. Get to know her a little more.
Everest
Jean Joho: still great after all these years.
Goosefoot
This intimate BYO was an early member of the wave of personable, more accessible tasting-menu spots.
GreenRiver
Safe to say this is the first Michelin star given to a spot that’s on the 18th floor of a medical center building.
Longman & Eagle
The only Michelin-starred spot where we’d highly recommend the Sloppy Joe.
Naha
Carrie Nahabedian is an icon because she can take squab, chanterelles, and foie gras and come up with this.
North Pond
The Lincoln Park hideaway is much more than just a restaurant for marking anniversaries and milestones, though it’s pretty great for that purpose, too.
Parachute
Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark’s Korean-American labor of love got all the buzz when it opened, and with good reason.
Roister
Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas go casual to much acclaim in their latest effort, which opened in March.
Schwa
Notoriously eccentric, yes, but even after 10 years, Michael Carlson can still pull out some wizardry.
Sepia
Have we mentioned how excited we are that this West Loop wine temple is adding a sister spot soon?
Smyth
This is the more upscale part of John and Karen Shields’ duo of West Loop spots, and it got a star after less than three months. Impressive.
Spiaggia
Yeah, it’s kind of overrun with high-rolling visitors, but Tony Mantuano’s crew knows how to pull together some serious pasta.
Topolobampo
Rick Bayless’s most formal approach to Mexican cuisine underwent a reinvention a little while back, and it was absolutely for the better.