One Chicago restaurant earned a coveted Michelin star Tuesday night, while another was upgraded from one star to two during a ceremony in Philadelphia.
Chicago’s Kasama was elevated from one star to two stars. The Ukrainian Village Filipino restaurant is run by the husband-wife duo Timothy Flores and Genie Kwon and has won a flurry of awards since it first opened in 2020. In 2022, it became the first-ever Filipino eatery to receive a Michelin star.
Feld, which opened last year in West Town, was awarded one Michelin star. The farm-focused restaurant, run by chef Jacob Potashnick, was also recognized with Michelin’s Green Star, which celebrates restaurants dedicated to sustainability.
“We never thought we would open a tasting menu restaurant. We wanted to open a neighborhood place,” Kwon said after accepting the jacket and was overcome by emotion. “We opened in July of 2020 and every decision that we’ve made has been to protect our team and ensure their job security. And looking back I can’t even believe we’re here, it’s so cool.”
Flores was not present at the ceremony, but Kwon brought a picture of him on stage with her.
One Chicagoan was also recognized with one of the night’s special honors. Amy Cordell, the chief operating officer at Chef Curtis Duffy’s Ever in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood, was recognized with the Michelin Service Award.
Smyth, run by the husband-wife duo John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, is now Chicago’s only restaurant with three Michelin stars. Alinea, run by chef Grant Achatz, was downgraded to two stars, as he announced last week. All other Chicago Michelin starred-restaurants retained their status.
The Michelin Guide’s Northeast Cities edition awarded stars to eateries in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., Boston and Philadelphia. This year was the first time that Michelin’s anonymous inspectors have awarded stars in Boston and Philadelphia.
First published in France at the turn of the 20th century, Michelin is often regarded as the gold standard of fine dining recommendations.
The Guide’s rating system ranges from one to three stars. One star means the restaurant is home to “high quality cooking” that is worth a stop, two stars is excellent cooking that is “worth a detour” and the coveted three-star distinction means Michelin thinks the destination has “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” The guide also offers the Bib Gourmand designation to select restaurants with good quality food for a good value. And, in more recent years, has started awarded the Michelin Green Star to restaurants that are pioneers in sustainability.
Restaurants are assessed based on five criteria, according to Michelin: product quality, mastery of cooking techniques, harmony of flavors, the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine and consistency over time and across the entire menu.
“These criteria guarantee a consistent and fair selection so a Starred restaurant has the same value regardless of whether it is in Paris, New York or anywhere else in the world,” Michelin said in a press release.
Achatz announced on Instagram last week that his Lincoln Park fine-dining restaurant, Alinea, had lost its three-star status, which it had held since 2010.
“We were disappointed to learn of our @michelinguide demotion to two stars,” Achatz wrote in a post. “For 20 years, Alinea has been devoted to pushing creativity, rigor, and the pursuit of perfection in our craft. That commitment remains as unwavering today as it was on day one, and will continue until the back door of 1723 locks for the last time.”
Michelin did not specify why Alinea lost a star. Two other restaurants, The Inn at Little Washington in the D.C. area, and omakase restaurant Masa in New York City, were also downgraded from three to two stars.
“The Michelin Guide maintains its role of providing fair and qualitative recommendations to consumers, with its team of expert Inspectors, following its global methodology,” Michelin said in the statement last week. “It fully acknowledges the impact of its decisions on the establishments it honors.”
Complete list of 2025 Michelin-starred restaurants in Chicago
Three Michelin Stars
Smyth
Two Michelin Stars:
Alinea
Ever
Kasama (new)
Oriole
One Michelin Star:
Atelier
Boka
Cariño
EL Ideas
Elske
Esmé
Feld (new)
Galit
Indienne
Mako
Moody Tongue
Next
Schwa
Sepia
Topolobampo
Green Star:
Daisies
Feld (new)
Courtney Kueppers is an arts and culture reporter at WBEZ.