Chicago Fine Dining Restaurant Alinea Loses One of Its Michelin Stars | Eater Chicago

"Chicago’s fine dining beacon has lost a Michelin star—and announced it before the official guide was even out. Grant Achatz revealed on Instagram that the restaurant has been demoted to two stars in the 2025 Michelin Guide, noting the team’s continued devotion to “pushing creativity, rigor, and the pursuit of perfection” and vowing to keep that commitment “until the back door of 1723 locks for the last time.” Long a symbol of three-star excellence since Chicago’s guide debuted in 2011 and still one of the city’s most iconic restaurants, it marked its 20th anniversary with pop-up residencies around the world even as recent reviews from the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune questioned its relevance in today’s fine dining scene—making this downgrade a dramatic shift for the local dining landscape." - Jeffy Mai