Michelin announces its 2024 Stars and Bib Gourmands for Chicago

Cariño, which opened in Uptown in November 2023, has received a Michelin star in its first year of operation. It’s a stunning feat for Detroit-based chef Norman Fenton, whose tasting menu showcases Mexican and Central American flavors with delicate dishes like huitlacoche ravioli and Ora King salmon with a spicy and comforting cucumber-jalapeño aguachile.

“Honestly, after 11 months, it’s a great validation for me of what we’ve done at 4662 N. Broadway,” Fenton says. “I am truly honored to bring a coveted star back to this Chicago address and this neighborhood, especially a neighborhood that is definitely off the beaten path.”

Fenton and his crew received the news Monday night during the Michelin Awards ceremony in New York. Cariño’s rise was the main storyline of Chicago. The number of Michelin-starred restaurants in Chicago fell to 20 in 2024 from 21 the previous year. Cariño was the only new addition, as two restaurants that were on the 2023 list, Temporis and Porto, closed.

The only other movement came from Moody Tongue, often cited as the only Michelin-starred brewpub in the world. The brewery near McCormick Place has been a two-star restaurant since 2021. This year, inspectors downgraded the restaurant to a single star.

There were rumors that Oriole, chef Noah Sandoval’s tasting menu restaurant in the West Loop, was on the cusp of three stars after Smyth set the template last year, climbing from two to three. Smyth retained his three-star rating and Oriole retained his two stars. Smyth, along with chef Grant Achatz’s Alinea, is the only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Chicago.

The stars are the highlight of the Michelin Guide, an honorary chef that everyone dreams of, even if there is no such thing as a “Michelin Star Chef”. It is a team honor for the entire restaurant staff. Stars often recognize fine dining restaurants, and Michelin dedicates another list, its Bib Gourmands, to cheaper restaurants that offer quality cuisine.

Chicago’s Bib Gourmands saw 11 fewer restaurants, with places like One Off Hospitality Group’s Avec, the new Etta and Stephanie Izard’s Cabra removed from the list. There are 37 Chicago Bib Gourmands in 2024 compared to 48 last year. The only new selection was Sifr, the Middle Eastern restaurant in River North from the owners ofindine, Chicago’s only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant.

“Overall, I just feel relieved and really happy for the team and how hard they’ve worked and the effort they’ve put in – and the dedication and commitment every day,” Fenton said. “They understand it’s hard work, but they push through to achieve our goals.”

The honor is compensation for Fenton, who was executive chef at Cariño’s predecessor, Brass Heart. Fenton didn’t open the restaurant and cooked at the restaurant in the middle of the pandemic, with his sights set on fine dining. Brass Heart would close and give Fenton a chance. He convinced his business partner Karen Young (Young worked with Fenton at a restaurant called Wild Tulum in Mexico) to take a chance on him in Chicago. The result was Cariño. Before Brass Heart, the space was home to the Michelin-starred 42 Grams.

Fenton says he is confident the award will provide further proof of concept so they can become a “recognizable force”. While Fenton says the award should continue to give them “the fuel and motivation to keep pushing forward,” he laughed when asked what was next for him and his staff.

“We have to go to work on Wednesday,” he says.

The Chicagoans took part in four other awards. For the second year in a row, Daisies in Logan Square has been awarded a Green Star for its continued sustainability efforts. They were the only restaurant in Chicago to receive this award. Inspectors also awarded Scott Stroemer of Galit with the Michelin Sommelier Award and Tim Flores and Genie Kwon of Kasama with the Outstanding Service Award. Michelin also awarded one of the three Young Chef Awards 2024 to Josh Mummert from Kumiko. He joined the Japanese-inspired cocktail bar three years ago and was previously at Elske.

Check out Chicago’s Michelin winner lists below.

Sifr/Neil John Burger

*Denotes new for 2024

Three stars

Alinea

Smyth

Two stars

Always

oriole

A star

studio

Boka

*Carino

EL ideas

Elske

Esme

Galit

Indiane

Kasama

Mako

Next

Omakase Yume

Capricious tongue

Schwa

sepia

Topolobampo

*Denotes new for 2024

Birrieria Zaragoza

Boonies

Cellar door

Special chef’s cocktail bar

Chilam Balam

Ciccio Mio

daisy

Dear Margaret

The Duck Inn

Frontera

Ghin Khao

giant

Gold-plated ingot

Girl and the goat

HaiSous

Kie Gol Lanee

Lardon

Longman & Eagle

Lula Cafe

Mom Delia

mfk

Mi Tocaya

Mott St

Munno Pizzeria

Nella

Perilla

Pleasant House Pub

Pompette

Purple pig

*Sifr

Sochi

Sol de Mexico

Superkhana International

Table, donkey and stick

Tortello

union

virtue

Yao Yao

1462 E. 53rd Street, Chicago, IL