Michelin Adds Seven Chicago Bib Gourmand Selections for 2022

The Michelin Guide announced seven new additions to its Chicago Bib Gourmand list, its annual selection of “good value” restaurants where it’s possible to have a two-course meal plus wine or dessert for about $40 per person. Next week, the guide will announce its starred restaurants on Tuesday, April 5, along with the other 48 spots on the Bib Gourmand list.

Last year’s Chicago Bib Gourmand list consisted of 58 restaurants with 10 new additions. Of those 58, only Pizzeria Bebu, the Lincoln Park thin-crust specialists, is closed.

The new Bib Gourmands are Apolonia, Stephen Gillanders’s (S.K.Y.) contemporary South Loop restaurant; Bloom Plant Based Kitchen, the Wicker Park vegan spot from Rodolfo Cuadros (Amaru); Dear Margaret, the Lakeview restaurant that proves French-Canadian cuisine goes beyond Labatt’s Blue and poutine; Lardon, Logan Square’s popular all-day salumeria; Sochi Saigonese Kitchen, a modern regional Vietnamese spot in Lakeview; Superkhana International, which mixes and mashes up Indian flavors in Logan Square; and Tortello, the Wicker Park pasta shop and cafe.

Five of the seven new Bib Gourmands opened in the past year; Superkhana and Tortello, which both made their debuts in 2019.

This represents a new strategy for Michelin, which last week unveiled a new category, “New Discoveries.” The Heatmap-like listing consisted of 23 Chicago restaurants. Michelin named Apolonia, Bloom, Superkhana, and Tortello on both New Discovery and Bib Gourmand lists. Rather than releasing the full Bib Gourmand list on first look, Michelin wants to create more buzz and drive more traffic to its websites.