CHICAGO, Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Michelin today unveiled the MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2013, showcasing the finest restaurants and hotels in the city.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20040818/MICHELIN )

Alinea, which achieved Michelin's three-star distinction in 2012, maintained top honors this year. Three Michelin stars is considered  the ultimate international recognition in the culinary world; only one hundred restaurants in the world currently have this distinction

This year's guide, however, sees all-new names in the highly revered two-star selections. L2O and graham elliot were promoted from one to two stars. This year also saw plenty of changes in the one-star selections. Three restaurants—Acadia, Goosefoot, and Mexique—earned their first one Michelin star distinctions, a significant culinary accomplishment. After a one-year absence, Sixteen returned to the one-star category. All in all, there are 16 Chicago establishments in this category for 2013.

The inclusion in the MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2013 is an acknowledgment of culinary excellence and quality.  A total of 433 restaurants are included in the selection, which spans Chicago's downtown neighborhoods and surrounding suburbs.  Michelin inspectors embraced a total of 44 different cuisines this year, reflecting the tremendous diversity found across the region.

The release of the MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2013 comes one week after Michelin announced that 64 restaurants earned the distinction of Bib Gourmand.  These Bib Gourmand establishments offer two courses plus a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less (excluding tax and gratuity) and are known as the Michelin inspectors' favorites for good value. 

Starred restaurants and Bib Gourmands are only two of the categories within the MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2013. Others include the popular "Under $25" category. There are also symbols for restaurants that serve brunch and those that stay open for late dining. In addition, restaurants with notable wine, sake and cocktail lists feature symbols for easy reference. New for all MICHELIN Guide 2013 editions are two new symbols for highlighting notable beer lists and one for indicating restaurants with a dim sum offering.

Chicago is one of three cities in the U.S. where Michelin publishes an annual guide.  Both the MICHELIN Guide New York City 2013 and the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country 2013 went on sale last month.

The MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2013 will go on sale Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at a price of $18.99, and is also available digitally:

• Mobile applications for the 2013 MICHELIN Guide New York and San Francisco are available for iPhone, via the App Store (at a price of $4.99), and the MICHELIN Guide Chicago will be available on 20 November.
• eBook versions of the 2013 MICHELIN Guide for New York and San Francisco are currently available via Apple (iBooks) and Barnes & Noble for the Nook. The eBook for the 2013 Chicago guide will be available on Apple and Barnes & Noble on 14 November.

The application and eBook are the perfect complement to the printed guide, enabling users to consult the Michelin inspectors' selection of hotels and restaurants at any time.

Michelin has done as much to enhance mobility as any company in the world.  The company patented the pneumatic, or air-filled, tire in the late 1800s.  This was a milestone moment in mobility, permitting automobile owners to travel at great length in a single journey.  Then, in an effort to prompt travelers to enjoy their newfound mobility, the company created guides and detailed maps to steer travelers on their way.  The most famous publication that developed from this is the internationally recognized MICHELIN Guide.

Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently around 23 countries, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining.  The selections of all restaurants in the guide are made by Michelin's famously anonymous inspectors who dine in the Chicago area regularly.  These local inspectors are trained to scrupulously apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world.  This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence.  As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full.

To find out more about the MICHELIN Guide, the MICHELIN Guide inspectors and the history of the MICHELIN Guide, visit www.michelinguide.com.

Here is a full list of the MICHELIN Chicago 2013 stars:

SOURCE Michelin