Grace earns 3 stars in the Michelin Guide Chicago 2015

Michelin this week announced its highly regarded star selections for the fifth edition of the Michelin Guide Chicago 2015.

This year, one restaurant is making the leap from two to three stars: Grace, where chef Curtis Duffy creates contemporary seasonal tasting menus that are both as modern and stylish as the setting in the West Loop. Grace joins Chicago's three-star restaurant, Alinea, which maintained its rank in the 2015 edition of the Michelin Guide.

"Curtis Duffy is undeniably one of the pillars of the Chicago culinary landscape, having worked with several of the city's top chefs, and also having earned two Michelin stars as chef de cuisine at Avenues in the Peninsula hotel. His cuisine is elegant and refined, showing a mastery of technique and an extraordinary harmony in textures and flavors. Grace is a stunning example of the creativity and daring that characterizes fine dining in Chicago. With the award of the third Michelin star, Curtis Duffy confirms his position as a member of the culinary elite in the country," said Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin Guide.

"This year has been particularly rich for the dining scene in the U.S. With the addition of Grace, there are now three new restaurants that have been awarded three stars for 2015, Michelin's highest honor. This clearly illustrates the remarkable evolution of the American culinary scene, which year after year affirms its position as one of the most exciting and dynamic dining destinations in the world today," Ellis added.

In the two-star category, the restaurant 42 Grams received two stars under the impressive stewardship of chef Jake Bickelhaupt, whose experience includes stints at Alinea, Charlie Trotter's and Schwa. Jake Bickelhaupt's menu is rooted in strong technique that is also creative, contemporary and experimental at times. With these restaurants, the Michelin Guide Chicago 2015 now counts three two-star establishments, including L20 and Sixteen, who all maintained their standing from 2014.

This year's edition also includes a total of 19 one-star restaurants, including Spiaggia, which closed in January and re-opened in May to reveal a renovation in celebration of 30 years. The restaurant maintained its status with a revamped contemporary Italian menu from the newly promoted chef Chris Marchino. The one-star level of cooking also remains at the The Lobby, where chef Seth Moliterno took over this March for outgoing chef Lee Wolen, who became the chef at one-star Boka, which also retains its same star status for 2015.

The Michelin Guide Chicago 2015 went on sale Wednesday.