Chicago lost its bid to host the Olympics, Oprah Winfrey is leaving town, and even Mayor Richard M. Daley is stepping down. Yet some of the city’s restaurants are collecting stars — Michelin stars.
Michelin Guide Chicago 2011, the city’s first Red Guide and one of three in the U.S., today awarded its highest rating of three stars to Alinea, the avant-garde restaurant set in a north side brownstone, and another Lincoln Park establishment, L20.
Restaurants that win the top ranking may get a 25 percent bump to business, said Jean-Luc Naret, the guide’s director. Chefs and executives say that will ripple into an economic boost for the city, where unemployment still sits above 10 percent.