Three Chicago restaurants receive their first Michelin stars

Pork ribs and Aperitif at the Moody Tongue Brewing Co., which boasts a newly minted, Michelin star. | Jordan Balderas

Three Chicago restaurants are the latest awardees of the distinguished honor of the Michelin star, the tire company announced Thursday.

The West Loop’s Ever (1340 W. Fulton), the South Loop’s Moody Tongue (2515 S. Wabash) and West Town’s Porto (1600 W. Chicago) were added to the list, rounding out the city’s 24 Michelin-starred restaurants.

“Michelin Guide inspectors were honored to commemorate the strength and creativity of Chicago chefs and restaurant teams throughout the past year,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, via statement.

Here’s the inspector notes for the three new eateries:

TWO STARS (excellent cooking that is worth a detour):

• Ever: “Chef Curtis Duffy and Michael Muser have triumphantly returned, and now preside over a bespoke room where the chef’s vision of fine dining enchants palates with complex flavors, stirring textures and visual fireworks.”
• Moody Tongue: “Chef Jared Wentworth offers a tasting menu concept housed in the Moody Tongue brewery building. Each course of the seasonal, ingredient-driven menu is paired with an equally creative beer of their own design, seamlessly woven into the kitchen’s compositions.”

ONE STAR (high quality cooking, worth a stop):

• Porto: “Young chef Marcos Campos’ style is anchored by his Spanish heritage and explores the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal through its conservas, seafood and specialty rice dishes.”

Ever chef Curtis Duffy.

Ever’s Duffy and Muser received two Michelin stars in 2014 at the Avenues at The Peninsula Chicago, and three stars the next four years (2015 to 2018) at Grace, which shut down in 2017.

And Campos, Porto’s executive chef and partner with the Bonhomme Hospitality Group, specializes in Mediterranean cuisine.

Alinea in Lincoln Park remains Chicago’s only three-star restaurant. Three of the restaurants starred in Michelin’s last guide, in 2019, closed last year: Band of Bohemia, Blackbird and Everest.

The new selections will be available on the Michelin app, said officials in a statement.