The World’s Top 50 Restaurants: Chicago’s Alinea Makes the List

GRANT ACHATZ: ALINEA RESTAURANT (CHICAGO)

ALINEA IN CHICAGO

THE WORLD’S TOP 50 RESTAURANTS

El Bulli is still the best restaurant in the world, The French Laundry is still the best restaurant in America and two of the world’s top 50 restaurants are right here in Chicago.

Or so says Restaurant Magazine, which Monday unveiled this year’s The S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants List, which included Charlie Trotter’s and Alinea, giving Chicago two top 50 designees for the first time. Only eight U.S. restaurants made the list at all.

The recognition is old news to Charlie Trotter’s, which has been a fixture on the list since its inception in 2002. Trotter’s, which has been ranked as high as 11th (2002) and as low as 39th (2003), is ranked No. 30 this year.

Alinea makes its debut appearance on the top 50 list this year, ranked at No. 36, the highest-rated new entry of the year. Considering the rankings accorded to Chez Panisse (40), L’Arpege (43), Taillevent (4 and Bocuse (49), 36th place isn’t bad at all.

Chef Grant Achatz’s restaurant in Lincoln Park (Chicago, IL), described by Mobil as “stunning” but without “any sense of pretension,” was one of only 16 restaurants nationwide to be awarded the coveted Mobil Five-Star rating this year. That distinction came just one week after the announcement that Alinea had made it onto The American Automobile Association’s Five-Diamond dining list. That brought the number of AAA Five Diamond restaurants in Chicago to seven, the most of any American city. In late September 2006, Alinea had been designated by Gourmet Magazine as America’s Best Restaurant. In October 2006, Forbes Magazine named Achatz one of America’s ten most influential chefs. He is a presently a Nominee for the 2007 Best Chef Award from The James Beard Foundation in New York City.

World’s Top 50 Restaurants:

The Complete 2007 List

1 El Bulli (Spain)
2 The Fat Duck (UK)
3 Pierre Gagnaire (France)
4 The French Laundry (USA)
5 Tetsuya’s (Australia)
6 Bras (France)
7 Mugaritz (Spain)
8 Le Louis XV (Monaco)
9 Per Se (USA)
10 Arzak (Spain)
11 El Celler de Can Roca (Spain)
12 Gambero Rosso (Italy)
13 L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (France)
14 Hof van Cleve (Belgium)
15 Noma (Denmark)
16 Le Calandre (Italy)
17 Nobu London (UK)
18 Jean Georges (USA)
19 Hakkasan (UK)
20 Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (France)
21 L’Astrance (France)
22 Can Fabes (Spain)
23 L’Ambroisie (France)
24 Restaurant Gordon Ramsay (UK)
25 Troisgros (France)
26 Le Bernardin (USA)
27 Martin Berasategui (Spain)
28 Le Gavroche (UK)
29 Le Cinq (France)
30 Charlie Trotter’s (USA)
31 Dal Pescatore (Italy)
32 Daniel (USA)
33 Rockpool (Australia)
34 St John (UK)
35 Chez Dominique (Finland)
36 Alinea (USA) Highest New Entry
37 Bukhara (India)
38 DOM (Brazil)
39 Oaxen Skärgårdskrog (Sweden)
40 Chez Panisse (USA)
41 Enoteca Pinchiorri (Italy)
42 Cracco Peck (Italy)
43 L’Arpège (France)
44 River Café (UK)
45 Oud Sluis (Netherlands)
46 Combal Zero (Italy)
47 Le Quartier Français (South Africa)
48 Taillevent (France)
49 Bocuse (France)
50 Les Ambassadeurs (France)

ALINEA: AMERICA’S BEST RESTAURANT CONTINUES TO RECEIVE COVETED NEW ACCOLADES

CHEERS!

GRANT ACHATZ: CHEF AND OWNER

ALINEA IS NAMED A MOBIL FIVE-STAR RESTAURANT

Chef Grant Achatz’s restaurant in Lincoln Park (Chicago, IL), described by Mobil as “stunning” but without “any sense of pretension,” was one of only 16 restaurants nationwide to be awarded the coveted Mobil Five-Star rating.

Achatz is already riding high after last week’s announcement that Alinea had made it onto The American Automobile Association’s Five-Diamond dining list. That brought the number of AAA Five Diamond restaurants in Chicago to seven, the most of any American city. “That’s a huge statement,” Achatz said.

Less than two months ago, in late September 2006, Alinea had been designated by Gourmet Magazine as America’s Best Restaurant. In October 2006, Forbes Magazine named Achatz one of America’s ten most influential chefs.

VIDEO: JAMES PERLOW/OFF THE BROILER AT ALINEA

FROM MY SEPTEMBER ARTICLE ABOUT GOURMET MAGAZINE NAMING ALINEA AMERICA’S TOP RESTAURANT:

ALINEA, a new restaurant in Chicago, has been designated America’s number one restaurant by Gourmet Magazine. Grant Achatz, born in Michigan in 1974, is Alinea’s Chef and owner. Mr. Achatz grew up in the restaurant industry, with both his parents and grandparents being restaurateurs. After graduation from high school, he immediately enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America. Excelling at the C.I.A., Achatz graduated and ascended the culinary ladder at several prestigious restaurants, including the acclaimed French Laundry Restaurant in Napa Valley. Working closely with Thomas Keller, Achatz thrived in this highly creative and dedicated environment, and after two years he became sous chef to Keller. After four years at the French Laundry, Achatz chose to broaden his knowledge and worked as an assistant winemaker at La Jota Vineyards.

In 2001, he accepted the Executive Chef position at the “four-star” Trio Restaurant (Evanston, IL). Achatz flourished at Trio, garnering accolades that included being named the “Rising Star Chef of the Year” by The James Beard Foundation (2003) and being cited as one of the ten “Best New Chefs in America” by Food & Wine (2002). With Achatz at the helm, Trio received four stars from The Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine and was awarded five stars from the celebrated Mobil Travel Guide in 2004. Known in culinary circles as a leader in the forward-thinking movement, Achatz realized a lifelong dream when he opened Alinea in May 2005.

ALINEA: BEHIND THE SCENES

GOURMET MAGAZINE SLIDESHOW: ALINEA

The List of America’s Top 50 Restaurants for 2006

This list is proof that American food, as served in all 50 of the top restaurants has never been so exciting. Or so new: More than half of these restaurants are making their debut on the list. You’ll recognize them by the star.

Below is the top 50, in order:

THE TOP 50 LIST

1. Alinea – Chicago, IL*
2. Chez Panisse – Berkeley, CA
3. The French Laundry/Per Se – Yountville, CA; New York, NY
4. Spago – Beverly Hills, CA
5. Joël Robuchon at the Mansion – Las Vegas, NV*
6. La Rêve – San Antonio, TX
7. Masa – New York, NY*
8. Alan Wong’s Restaurant – Honolulu, HI
9. Daniel – New York, NY
10. Le Bernardin – New York, NY
11. Magnolia Grill – Durham, NC
12. Michel Richard Citronelle – Washington, D.C.
13. Charlie Trotter’s – Chicago, IL
14. Arrows – Ogunquit, ME
15. Cyrus – Healdsburg, CA*
16. Striped Bass – Philadelphia, PA*
17. Babbo – New York, NY
18. Locke-Ober – Boston, MA*
19. Canlis – Seattle, WA
20. L’Auberge Carmel – Carmel, CA*
21. Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare – Las Vegas, NV*
22. Restaurant August – New Orleans, LA*
23. The Inn at Little Washington – Washington, VA
24. The Dining Room in the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead – Atlanta, GA*
25. Vetri – Philadelphia, PA*
26. Fore Street – Portland, ME
27. Jean Georges – New York, NY
28. Higgins – Portland, OR*
29. Da Marco – Houston, TX*
30. La Belle Vie – Minneapolis, MN*
31. Parker’s New American Bistro – Cleveland, OH
32. Michy’s – Miami, FL*
33. Frasca – Boulder, CO*
34. Gramercy Tavern – New York, NY
35. Providence – Los Angeles, CA*
36. Restaurant Guy Savoy – Las Vegas, NV*
37. Zuni Café – San Francisco, CA
38. Urasawa – Beverly Hills, CA*
39. Bacchanalia – Atlata, GA*
40. Sanford – Milwaukee, WI
41. York Street – Dallas, TX*
42. Manresa – Los Gatos, CA*
43. No. 9 Park – Boston, MA*
44. Trattoria Nostrani – Santa Fe, NM*
45. Cafe Juanita – Kirkland, WA*
46. Paley’s Place – Portland, OR*
47. Lantern Restaurant – Chapel Hill, NC*
48. L’Etoile – Madison, WI
49. Herbsaint – New Orleans, LA*
50. Nana – Dallas, TX*

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