LOGAN SQUARE — Two restaurants in Logan Square and Avondale won coveted Michelin stars Wednesday.
Logan Square's go-to fine dining establishment Longman & Eagle, 2657 N. Kedzie Ave., and Avondale's Korean-inspired eatery Parachute, 3500 N. Elston Ave., each won one star in the 2017 Michelin Guide.
It's the seventh year in a row Longman, known for its inventive farm-to-table dishes and extensive whiskey selection, has won one star, which is as many years as the restaurant has been open.
And it's the second year in a row Parachute has made the elite list since opening in May of 2014. The 40-seat restaurant, which is led by husband-and-wife-team Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark, serves seasonal shared plates.
Kim, an aria and "Top Chef" alumna and graduate of Kendall College, said her staff got the call hours later than last year, which made for a "nerve-wracking" morning.
When the call finally did come through, the staff was in the middle of a mangers meeting, Kim said.
"A lot of us had tears in our eyes from happiness and how much it took to get here," Kim said.
Clark said the win is especially meaningful because the restaurant is small and independently-owned.
"It feels good that we did this with hard work and being resourceful. We definitely didn't have a leg up," Clark said, joking that they started out with a "Betty Crocker kitchen."
Kim said the star rating puts a spotlight on Avondale.
"I know that Avondale is a ways from Downtown and it's maybe not the most obvious place to go eat," she said. "But I think [this] helps put it on the map for people when they come visit Chicago."
Newcomers to the list include West Loop's Roister, Streeterville's Green River and Lincoln Square's Band of Bohemia, all with one star. West Loop's Oriole got two stars.
Check out the full list here.
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