Chicago Restaurants Top List on Michelin Guide

A Lincoln Park restaurant is recognized as one of the best in Chicago.

Chicago restaurant Alinea maintained its top spot on Michelin's Travel and Lifestyle guide, released Tuesday

The Lincoln Park restaurant received three Michelin stars for its' "exceptional cuisine" on the Michelin Guide Chicago 2012, and it one of only 93 in the world to receive three stars.

Chef/owner Grant Achatz toasted the occasion with his staff after receiving the call from Michelin Director General Jean Luc Naret.

"I was very nervous that we weren't going to get three," Achatz said.

The guide features over 400 restaurants with 45 different types of cuisine, according to Michelin Travel.

Charlie Trotter's and Ria also made the top of the list with two stars.

Seventeen other Chicago restaurants earned one star, including L2O, which earned three stars last year along with Alinea.

The guide has been in Europe for more than 100 years, but has only been in the U.S. since 2005, with San Francisco, New York and Chicago the only cities with restaurants under consideration.

Jared Wentworth of Longman and Eagle in Logan Square was shocked to be among those selected -- the only gastro-pub on the list.

"I got the call about 9:30 this morning and the French language has never sounded so great," Wentworth said. "We're just so humbled. I don't know if we belong in the class were in, but we're certainly really going to fight and try to keep our star."

Click here for the full list of Chicago restaurants.

Contact Us