Tag Archives: Michelin Stars in Chicago

Pick Naha for Chicago Restaurant Week 2012

Naha earns a James Beard Foundation Award

In 2008, Naha’s Chef Carrie Hahabedian earned a James Beard Foundation Award: “American Express Best Chef: Great Lakes Award.” This award is like “The Oscars of Food” and “honors the finest chefs, restaurants, wine professionals, journalists, cookbook authors, restaurant designers, and other food professionals in the United States.”  Recipients receive a bronze medallion etched with the image of the late James Beard and a certificate from the Foundation. Naha also won a 2012 Michelin Guide Star for outstanding quality!

James Beard Foundation Medal

Michelin Award for Naha in Chicago

Chef Carrie Nahabedian and cousin Michael Nahabedian offer a Mediterranean-inspired menu and encourage you to become a “LOCAVORE!”

They support “purveyors and farmers across the Midwest and America in supporting the community with their dedication to a more sustainable environment”.

Naha is located at 5oo N. Clark Street and is an outstanding Chicago Restaurant Week 2012 option.

For more information visit www.naha-chicago.com.

Call  312-321-6242 for reservations.

Naha's Culinary Award Shelf

Start with a glass of Qupe Syrah while you are contemplating the Restaurant Week Menu.

Syrah at Naha

My incredible Chicago Restaurant Week 2012 dinner at Naha included:

*a Salad of Wood-Grilled Chicken with Italian Farro and Sylvetta Arugugula. It was farnished with Candied “Budda Hand” Lemon and Cracked Walnuts

Duck at Naha

*The main course was an incredible Lacquered Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Breast and Foie Gras with a “Tarte Tatin” of Bartlett Pear and Fennel, Licorice and Port

*I loved the “Croustade” of Bananas, Cashews and Caramel that I had for dessert.

Dessert at Naha in Chicaog

Malbec at NahaWe enjoyed a bottle of Durigutti Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina with dinner. Naha has an extensive wine list with over 30 wines by the glass. For Chicago Restuarant Week they were serving an intersting "Naha Punch" in a martini glass. It was so appealing that I had to give it a try. It was excellent!Naha "Restaurant Week Punch"

Naha Restaurant Week Punch

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Filed under Chicago, Chicago Chefs, Chicago Restaurant Week 2012, Naha Restaurant Menu for Chicago Restaurant Week 2012

Chicago’s Creative Chefs Earn Coveted Michelin Stars

TOKYO - NOVEMBER 18:  Director of Michelin Gui...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

On November 18th, the First Edition of the Chicago Michelin Guide hits the book shelves with 342 restaurant listings that include 42 different types of cuisine in 14 of my favorite “Vino con Vista” Chicago neighborhoods. www.michelinguide.com/us/index.html

Chicago Loop

 There are only 93 restaurants in the world with exceptional cuisine worthy of three-stars. Chicago’ s ulta-modern Alinea‘s chef  Grant Achatz  at 1723 N. Halsted and  seafood-inspired chef Laurent Gras of L20 at 2300 N. Lincoln Park West just joined the prestigious club.

Rush Street Chicago

Two-star winniers are:

Charlie Trotters at 816 W. Armitage

Avenues in the Peninsula at 108 E. Superior

Ria in the Elysian Hotel at 11 E. Walton

Ria Restaurant at the Elysian in Chicago

Eighteeen of Chicago’s restaurants earned an impressive one-star rating including :

Blackbird at 619. W. RandolfBlackbird Restaurant in Chicago

 

NoMI in the Park Hyatt at 800 N. Michigan

Sepia at 123 N. Jefferson

Sepia Restaurant in Chicago

Sepia Restaurant in Chicago

 

 

Sixteen in Trump Tower at 401 N. Wabash. Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago was named the #1 Large City Hotel in the Continental U.S. and Canada in Travel and Leisure’s 2010 World’s Best Awards.

Sixteen Restaurant at the Trump Tower in Chicago

The “Bib Gourmand” rating went to 46 Chicago restaurants including:

The Girl and the Goat at 809 W. Randolf

Bistro 110 at 110 E. Pearson

The Purple Pig at 500 N. Michigan

Purple Pig Menu in Chicago

Green Zebra at 1460 W. Chicago

Frontera Grill at 445 N. Clark

Michelin Guide director Jean-Luc Naret and Mayor Daley celebrated the launch with a party at the Chicago Cultural Center with other local notable foodies. The Guide was first published in France in 1900 and today there are 25 guides covering 23 countries. There are also US Michelin Guides are for New York and San Francisco.

The selection process entails anonymous visits from Michelin inspectors that are passionate about food. They are employed full-time at Michelin to identify high quality establishments around the world. Just because a chef earns a Michelin star doesn’t mean they keep it. The biggest blow to a chef’s ego is losing their coveted Michelin stars.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides to Italy and  Vino Con Vista Travel Guides can be purchased at these sites

Salute and  Buon Appetito Chicago from www.vino-con-vista.com

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Filed under Chicago, Chicago Restaurants, vino con vista