Someone really, really likes Everest. That someone is Gayot, a guide to high end dining founded by the French restaurant critic Andre Gayot in 1969). They just put out their Restaurant Issue, and named Everest to their list of the top 40 restaurants in the US as well as naming Chef Jean Joho their restaurateur of the year, for his empire including Everest and Paris Club in Chicago, Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas, and Brasserie Jo in Boston. In their words, “Sharing a moniker with the world’s highest mountain might be daunting for some, but Joho’s premier restaurant has become the pinnacle of French cuisine in the Midwest, and an international dining destination.” The only other Chicago restaurants to make the top 40 are Alinea, Tru and Vie (listed under Western Springs); GT Fish & Oyster landed on the 10 Best New Restaurants list, while Next was an Honorable Mention. The Purple Pig made the Top 10 Insider Picks (for places that we guess are little-known and don’t draw crowds?) Courtright’s in bucolic Willow Springs made the most romantic restaurants list (as did Joho’s Eiffel Tower in Vegas), and Chicago Cut Steakhouse kept our steakhouse honor (though with no mention of the fact that chef Russell Kook has just been on the job for a few weeks replacing Jackie Shen).
