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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

42 Grams' Michelin Stars A Big Deal For Uptown Couple - And Neighborhood

By Jackie Kostek | November 11, 2014 3:15pm
 Fledgling Uptown restaurant 42 Grams was awarded two Michelin stars for the first time less than a year after it opened.
Fledgling Uptown restaurant 42 Grams was awarded two Michelin stars for the first time less than a year after it opened.
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UPTOWN — When chef Jake Bickelhaupt and his wife Alexa opened 42 Grams in Uptown, they hoped to show Chicagoans how "beautiful" the neighborhood was — and how good the food can be there.

Now — less than a year after opening — the restaurant located in an old Chester's Chicken shack has been given two coveted Michelin stars.

“It was such an exciting moment, and a huge affirmation that everything my wife and I have worked tirelessly to achieve this past year was well worth the time, energy, and sacrifice,” Bickelhaupt said in a statement. “I’m truly humbled and honored that my first restaurant has been recognized by the guide in such a profound way for the distinct experience that we provide.”

Janet Fuller explains how the Michelin Guide got started and what the stars signify:

Bickelhaupt's wife Alexa Welsh, who serves as the restaurant's "hostess, server, and narrator," was celebrating the win early Tuesday — but she still had business to attend to.

Bickelhaupt, who was just 30 years old when the restaurant at 4662 N. Broadway opened, told DNAinfo 42 Grams aims to provide an intimate (and upscale) dinner-party style experience and hoped it would become "a destination restaurant," for people across the city.

"I think the perception of this neighborhood is wrong, that it's a bad place. It's a beautiful place, and there's beautiful things happening," he said last year. "A lot of people that aren't from this neighborhood are going to dine at this restaurant, but that's going to bring awareness…and it can start changing the idea of the neighborhood."

Bickelhaupt thanked diners and other supporters on Twitter Tuesday.

Aside from being the only restaurant in Uptown with Michelin stars, 42 Grams is also the "first and only BYO restaurant in the Midwest to receive two stars from the guide."

For more Michelin news, click here.