The famously anonymous MICHELIN Guide inspectors have revealed the newest Bib Gourmand restaurants for New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., days ahead of what will be the largest North American MICHELIN Guide Ceremony to date. Eleven were chosen in New York, five in Chicago and two in Washington.
Bib Gourmand restaurants offer a meal of good quality at a good value.
The full lists of Bib Gourmand restaurants – 102 in New York, 47 in Chicago and 29 in Washington – will be available on guide.michelin.com and the MICHELIN Guide mobile app immediately after the event.
“We are thrilled to announce these new Bib Gourmand restaurants, which add to their cities’ dynamic culinary scenes,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “A tasty dish at an excellent value makes for a meal that really hits the spot. Our inspectors enjoyed these restaurants thoroughly, and they know you will too!”
The new-look MICHELIN Guide Ceremony, celebrating the three cities, will be held the evening of Nov. 7. Chefs will be invited to Spring Studios in Tribeca, New York, to discover whether their restaurant teams have received a MICHELIN Star. Attendance is by invitation only.
Here are the new Bib Gourmand restaurants, with excerpts from the inspector notes:
New York
8282 (Lower East Side; Korean cuisine)
Are there any rules about showering a scoop of honey-infused vanilla cream with grated Parmesan cheese? Is there a consensus on whether an entire orb of creamy burrata goes well with rice cakes and gochujang-marinated chicken? There’s a first time for everything at this rambunctious little restaurant.
Agi’s Counter (Brooklyn-Crown Heights; creative cuisine)
You have room for one more dish, right? It’s a question that will come up often at this sweet little diner. Chef Jeremy Salamon takes inspiration (and the restaurant’s name) from his Hungarian grandmother for a delightfully casual but fine-tuned effort.
Alta Calidad (Brooklyn-Park Slope; Mexican cuisine)
Alta Calidad, means “high quality” and this talented chef certainly puts his money where his mouth is. Crispy tempura shrimp are set atop a tortilla with crunchy cabbage remoulade for an original dish, while paper-thin carne asada sprinkled with Chihuahua cheese and griddled until caramelized and crisp is another standout.
C as in Charlie (Greenwich Village; Fusion cuisine)
Chef Eric JaeHo Choi’s spot flies a bit under the radar, but with this wildly creative, cultural collision cooking, it deserves to be top of mind. A compact menu keeps things tight with around ten dishes, but it’s sprinkled with widely appealing Southern- and Korean-minded tapas-style plates. The cooking is straightforward and earnest with bold flavors.
Café Mars (Brooklyn-Gowanus; contemporary cuisine)
This trendy spot from co-chefs Paul D’Avino and Jorge Olarte is quirky from start to finish, and that’s exactly what makes it shine. The contemporary menu is equal parts modern and nostalgic, with an outlandish creativity to boot.
Flora (Brooklyn-Park Slope; Italian cuisine)
Emiliano Cammardella and Rossella Episcopo are behind this welcoming, light-filled spot that retains many of the rustic touches of its former incarnation (think exposed brick walls and wood-framed doors and windows) interspersed with industrial touches. The food is as winning as the ambience.
KRU (Brooklyn-Williamsburg; Thai cuisine)
Husband-and-wife Chefs Ohm Suansilphong and Kiki Supap are behind KRU, which is Thai for “guru.” Indeed, you will get a lesson in traditional Thai dishes albeit ones that have been spruced up in a decidedly contemporary way.
Peppercorn Station (Mid-West; Chinese cuisine)
The menu runs a decent length and offers a comfortable collection of favorites designed for sharing. Fish fillet with pickled cabbage is a must-order with its golden, numbing broth, as is the mapo tofu that’s been turbo-charged with fermented black beans. Sliced pork belly with garlic-chili sauce is a classic starter.
Potluck Club (Lower East Side; Chinese cuisine)
Chrystie Street wins big with this high-energy restaurant that is always down to have a good time. The cooking offers a fresh take on Cantonese favorites using top-rate products. Pan-seared pot stickers get their boost from a Berkshire pork and chive filling. Fried tiger shrimp slicked in mayonnaise has never been more appealing.
Pranakhon (Greenwich Village; Thai cuisine)
The name may reference Bangkok’s original name, Phra Nakhon, but this busy spot is all about the now and just might convince you that you’re dining in an alley in the capital city. It’s precisely the point, as this restaurant from Intira and Norapol Youngphitak celebrates Bangkok’s street-eats scene.
Superiority Burger (East Village; vegetarian cuisine)
What began with a handful of seats and vegetarian burgers has evolved with a new location and new menu, which is equal parts quirky and contemporary, and fully vegetarian (even sometimes vegan). It’s very creative, as in sweet and sour beets over jalapeño cream cheese and pretzels. Yes, it sounds weird, but it works.
Chicago
Boonie’s (Lincoln Square; Filipino cuisine)
The intoxicating, unmistakable aroma of garlic fills the narrow room every time someone opens the rice cooker. This rice is the foundation of all things that are good at this homey restaurant that started out as a food stall. The crispy pork belly hash is an impressive starter that could very well double as an entrée.
Cellar Door Provisions (Logan Square; Mediterranean Cuisine)
Some restaurants try very hard to impress and dazzle their customers. This sunny corner of Logan Square is not one of those restaurants. In a recently refreshed, breezy dining room, this is an honest restaurant with unfussy, no-nonsense cooking where the plates are warm, the seasoning is spot-on and the flavors are clear.
Pompette (Bucktown/Wicker Park; contemporary cuisine)
The team may have spent time in some of Chicago’s heavy-hitting restaurants, but Pompette is decidedly more casual. It’s the kind of place you could come all day, every day, and never tire of the selection. Why? The menu, for starters. It’s seasonal with an ever-changing rotation of signature dishes.
Union (Logan Square; American cuisine)
Building on the success of next-door Lardon, the same team now aims to capture the dinner crowd with this handsome gastropub. The menu balances comfort with creativity. The spicy baby gem is peak salad satisfaction. Fried cheese curds and lamb meatballs are easy crowd-pleasers, and every table has at least one cheeseburger.
Yao Yao (Chinatown; Chinese cuisine)
The aquamarine tones create a light and airy setting, but don't mistake the pastel tones for something less than serious. Yao Yao pickled fish is the signature dish here. Fiery and potent, this plate delivers a one-two punch with a funky seafood quality and the sharp tang of sour greens.
Washington, D.C.
La Tejana (Mt. Pleasant; Mexican cuisine)
Quick and efficient, this simple counter from Ana-Maria Jaramillo and Gus May serves just coffee and a handful of tacos mined from a time living in Texas. Their breakfast tacos offer a singular kind of satisfaction, each one made with a superb flour tortilla kept warm in tightly wrapped foil. Fillings include soft scrambled eggs, creamy pinto beans, queso and meats like bacon, chorizo and even brisket.
Yellow (Georgetown; Middle Eastern cuisine)
Chef/owner Michael Rafidi and team are behind this daytime casual concept, where Levantine cooking takes center stage thanks to a wood-burning oven. It’s always humming here, where long lines form for pastries, breakfast sandwiches or shashuka in the morning as well as pita sandwiches, spreads and sides.
The restaurants join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay around the world. Every hotel in the Guide is chosen for its extraordinary style, service, and personality — with options for all budgets — and each hotel can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The MICHELIN Guide is a benchmark in gastronomy. Now it's setting a new standard for hotels.