The 42 Most Important Restaurants in America
These spots define American cuisine in 2024 + Plus best songs of the week.
Lists are clickbait. Touch down in “X city” and you immediately search for the best restaurants in said town unless you're a true gourmand and know that the best spots are booked months in advance.
Nonetheless, the Eaters, Infatuations, Time Outs, and local magazines of the world are dictated by free meals provided by public relations firms, the writer’s subjective tastes, and quite frankly how the writer was feeling that day.
These are not necessarily the Best Restaurants in America, that idea is subjective. Someone who has never been out of their county in the Midwest may think that White Castle is the creme de la creme in terms of food, someone with the disposable income of someone's rent in LA may see a 350-dollar total bill as a typical night out, and someone in NY judges spots based on their local proximity and clout from landing a lauded 5 p.m reservation at hottest ticket in town— I get it.
These are the restaurants I just like eating at. Some of them are still hard to get into, some are priced heavily, and some cost the same as your DoorDash addiction.
In my opinion, a proper meal is not about being treated like a king or accolades, or the “dick-sizing” your “foodie rank”, but how the meal makes you feel afterward. There are so many people I have come across that predicate themselves on visiting X, Y, and Z Michelin-rated restaurants, complete with their Suit Supply suits, trust funds, and stocked savings accounts that ultimately leave them dissatisfied, no matter how much they upsell the place.
World's Top 50? Nepotism. Michelin Guide? Funded nepotism. Food Blogs? PR sponsored nepotism. I have ventured into the country near and far, from summers in West Michigan complete with berries aplenty, the splendor of Upstate New York, springs in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and walking in Central Park or Santa Monica sampling the best 20-dollar bushels of seasonal produce.
I am sure I am missing your favorite mom-and-pop or the acclaimed critic favorites, but to me, this encapsulates the 42 restaurants that if an alien popped up in the US, would get a complete view of our culinary experience. Enjoy. (In no order).
1. Addison (San Diego):
One of the two 3 Michelin-starred restaurants in California need I say more? I said I would not put that many tasting menu spots on here, but in my opinion, the perfect SoCal weekend consists of dinner here on Thursday, a Padres game on Friday (with local craft brews), and Saturday walking along the beach alongside the Coronado resort.
Best dish: Caviar and eggs
2. Holbox (Los Angeles):
Californian and Baja cuisine in a non-pretentious counter space? This is the most pure iteration of Baja and Californian cuisine you can get. The chef keeps bringing out beautiful dishes consisting of ceviches, and tostadas, showcasing the best seafood bounty of the region. No overly sauced plates, no pomp and circumstance, just fresh SoCal seafood done right.
Tostada de pate con callo - Kanpachi head pate, Hokkaido scallops, chili oil, chives, tostada raspada
3. Poltergeist (Los Angeles):
Expect less from a restaurant pop-up inside of an arcade, but some of the best bites I have had in the past year were from here. Estrano the Chef is at his creative best here—The servings are huge, the beverage program is excellent, and creativity is at the root of every dish, sometimes a bit too over the top, but I’m here for taking risks. Just order everything on the menu. Estrano please move to Las Vegas.
Panang lamb neck, saffron bao, persimmon amba, pickled shiitake, pomegranate molasses, brusselkraut
4. Bavel (Los Angeles):
An LA staple for the best lamb neck, mezze, hummus, and pita in town. In a city full of differing cultures from Palestinians, Israelis, Persians, Afghans, Arabs, Armenians, Pakis, Indians, and others… There is one spot that brings everyone together and that is Ori Menashe’s Bavel.
I can never get this texture or color to my pate’s? How Sway?
5. Raffi’s Place (Glendale)
I am persian. I like kabobs but Persian cuisine is more than just that. Our cuisine is not a monolith and this is easily the best persian restaurant in the US. Don’t ask, just Koobideh.
I just came here for the “Mast-eh-Moosir” to dunk in this.
6. Shukette (New York):
If you know me you know, I have a soft spot for Levantine and Mediterranean Cuisine. I hardly eat bread but go ape shit on any spread of Pita and dips. At this Chelsea restaurant, you can make a meal off their bread and mezze alone from their garlic-embedded, Freena bread, zaa’tar showered Taffa bread, or the Gozeem bread stuffed with, Provolone, cilantro, and potato.
These breads are no joke and pair brilliantly with arguably the best hummus I've ever had, which was eerily reminiscent of a good, Chantilly cream.
The riff on the Persian Jujeh chicken kebab is juicy and tender throughout and is dawned with dollops of toum and the house's homemade hot sauce, but it doesn't stop there. The largest section on the menu is the “Shuk” which consists of different small plates— from grilled Romanesco to hail-sized tuna meatballs.
This is a style of eating that I enjoy to a T. A bunch of small plates, good wines, good cocktails, spices, and a nice group of people to share it with.
Dipping, ripping, and some elbow action in this meal. Thumbs up.
7. Kann (Portland):
Chef Gregory Gourdet’s highly acclaimed Haitian restaurant feels like a restaurant of the moment. With elaborate explanations of dishes, a vast and open dining room, and a dining experience as immersive and informative as it is sumptuous, Gourdet. is executing West Indian food at the highest level cooking with tradition in mind, but taking a fine dining detour.
This is evident in dishes like a watermelon shaved ice over Butterfish crudo to a bestial Haitian coffee-rubbed short rib. But that's not all. Other highlights include a labor-intensive duck lacquered in Tamarind and cane syrup all showcasing the ingredients native to his homeland of Haiti while also blending in Caribbean crops and rhythms.
The beef ribs tho… Oxtail patties from aki will never be the same.
8. Nancy’s Hustle (Houston):
On that same note. My other favorite restaurant in all of Texas would have to be Nancy's. Hustle. It again, pairs two of my favorite things into one place. An unfussy atmosphere, a menu that constantly changes, full of food that pairs brilliantly with the restaurant's amazing natural wine menu, and is a place you can go to time and time again and try different things on the menu.
The Johnny cakes are a must-order every single time alongside the lamb tartar, the spicy pork and butter dumplings, and the grilled ribeye with beef fat sticky rice, fermented chili, beurre blanc, and crispy shallots.
The desserts are to die for and constantly changing. The Parmesan cheesecake though? A staple. Iconic.
Johnny Cakes? So good I might name my next kid Johnny. (Will never happen).
9. Foul Witch (New York):
Neo-gothic Tuscan food? That might raise an eyebrow at first, but with a name like Foul Witch one can expect the unexpected at this East Village newcomer. Italian cuisine can be held back by the weight of its tropes and traditions, but the people at Foul Witch take this to new extremes by taking their Italian menu through an acid trip.
Think of roasted goat and grilled tripe with a melty slab of Testa. A ceviche with plums and leche de tigre, and many other inventive dishes that pair brilliantly with a diverse natural wine menu. Now see, I'm a sucker for these types of restaurants places with weird riffs on traditional cuisines and a quirky wine menu to boot, but this place is the truth. The veal tortellini with Amaretto is a funky play on the dish that sizes up by the bitter and sweet notes of the liqueur.
The dry-aged lamb saddle with mint jelly is another inventive play that utilizes the depression-era ration food of mint jelly instead of the traditional seasoning blend.
I like it when chefs and restaurants take chances, especially in areas where they could fail brilliantly. They can fail extravagantly and close within a year or be major hits. This one looks to be the latter.
10. Rich Table (SF):
Visiting SF is the right move in 2024. The streets are not laden with “drug-addicted, knife-holding Fentanyl-addicts” as the media makes it. Even though, I must say, even the people of the town are *scared* to walk amongst certain neighborhoods. I recently had a “Reddit-driven” (yes, this person is a very well-known, Banksy style, meaning incognito, a street artist whom I met and had a few meals with, was a decent and very cool person) meal at Birdsong and he insisted on taking an Uber home and I decidedly had to laugh. I walked to the nearest cool bar I could find, aptly named Sluts, a natural wine bar and strip club with the coolest bartenders in town (now laden with controversy).
I digress… Rich Table marries great food, a rotating menu with service that makes you feel as if you were at your grandma’s house. On a random night, you could get crispy potato chips carefully skewered with sardines with horseradish crème fraîche, fluffy umami porcini doughnuts with creamy raclette cheese dipping sauce, or aged beef dumplings with spicy chili crunch.
It’s nothing heavy, yet nothing light. Flavors so packed you will take a sip of their brilliant drinks list and then take a bite and you will just revel there for a few minutes, whether with a friend or chatting with the bartender. It’s the type of place I wish was in Vegas but isn’t…
So long will I lust for 63-degree days in August working out outside all while thinking of the next time I can visit this place. Portola? Book it.
I see purp, I eat it. (Or drink it, shout out to DJ Screw).
11. State Bird Provisions (SF):
I have a lot of tasting menu places on this list. Namely because of their high level of execution of flavors and magnifying a certain cuisine. Nonetheless, State Bird Provisions is my favorite style of eating out of any place on this list. I love to talk in superlatives, but I do mean it this time (Diplomats voice)...
I love creative concepts and this restaurant serves daily specials of 15-20 small, carefully balanced, locally-sourced plates, brought out on carts and trays – a choose-your-own-adventure way of dining. The best way to describe it is Californian-inspired Yum Cha.
You’ll as likely see Garlic Bread with Burrata as you will see Crispy Pork Belly Salad with Nước Chấm Vinaigrette or even Carrot Mochi with Pistachio Dukkah; no doubt a reflection of the cultural melting pot of San Francisco itself, blending seemingly disparate influences and flavors into cohesive dishes.
This creative concept of serving food is deceptively difficult to execute, requiring an even greater amount of creativity to conceive and skill to perfect – every dish must work simultaneously together and in isolation, each with its own balance of salt, fat, acid, and texture.
The large open kitchen offers a small glimpse into the impressive impossibility of that task. I have stated this time and time again, the first bite is the same as the last, but to a lesser pleasure degree. Here, you get to try a multitude of dishes in a quirky atmosphere and truly have that "oh shit" feeling after every bite.
Oh and by the way, The Progress and Anchovy Bar, the restaurant group's sister restaurants are equally as good.
Fatty cut of beef + toast + fatty condiments = $$$$
12. Nixta Taqueria (Austin):
I lived in Austin pre-hype. the time was 2010 and all of the recent hotspots were simply food trucks back then. Uchi was the epicenter of culinary excellence bringing out the Joshua Weissman’s of the world, but even at that time, there was a certain romanticism about tacos, namely "fusion" tacos. That word may make some people cringe, but this lo-fi East Austin hotspot was doing it right from the beginning. I might be biased because half of the operation is Persian, and she blends those flavors into their dishes, but this is the best interpretation of Tex-Mex and modern influences in the state.
They now have a cool "omakase" menu, but the classics remain true. The beet tartare, crispy eggplant taco and tuna tostadas pair brilliantly with their mindfully curated drink menu, and no matter what— order the Sholeh Zard, what they describe as a Mexican arroz con leche meets Persian rice custard.
I really love the Persian Sunday Brunch, but the combood Shishito peps and labneh really does kill at all hours.
13. Anju (Washington D.C.):
To say Korean food is having a moment is a hyperbole. From cool, but not full dining experiences at the R&D menu at Atomix, to experimenting with new-school Korean diners in LA like Yangban and Baroo, there has been no other cuisine that I have gained a deeper understanding of in the last few years than this cuisine.
From the moment you enter, makgeolli, a highly underrated drink is served to guests, soju or shochu. It complements the food well and is a great aperitif. The highlights begin with its iteration of bo sssam, pork belly, and cabbage at its core with a whole treasure trove of banchan—finger accompaniments that resonate with my palate. As Persians, we have similar dishes, little Gerkins, turnips, dill/cilantro/parsley, and pickled varietals.
Following is the Hogam Jeon, a cauliflower fish that did not lack in flavor—think of it as a sweet and sour pork vegan varietal. To finish off you get a magical marshmallow meringue souffle, that dates back to the influence of the American military stationed in Seoul in the 40's bringing over cotton candy and incorporating it into their dessert sandos.
DC has a lot of restaurants that rely on pomp and circumstance, but this spot is truly substance, highlighting the DMV's vast Korean population.
Korean food just makes you feel GOOD. From the probiotics in the banchan to the cured meats, I cannot dig this enough.
14. Royal Izikaya (Philadelphia):
Who am I to fuck tradition up?
Omakase is in my DNA, and the best expression of this Japanese art is at Royal Omakase in Philly. What separates this place from the now hundreds of places around the US is not the fish. From LA to NY to everywhere between the Louisiana Purchase, it’s not hard to import your fish from Japan.
Yet what distinguishes the rich from the richer are the simple nuances in the dinner. Anyone can serve nigiri with a bed of rice and soy, but not everyone can add things onto their menu like tuna buns, Toro guacamole, Karaage wings, Hotake Yaki scallops with kabocha squash, and a full-on Zabuton Wagyu steak alongside over 17 pieces of fresh fish and desserts that go beyond mochi balls and sorbets that you could get at H-Mart
Under 300 bucks with tax and gratuity? Sign me up.
15. Californios (San Francisco):
Californios is a special place. I ate at about 5 tasting menus in a month's span in SF, but only this meal resonated down with me. The service—amazing.
I ate solo at the bar but had the pleasure to chat with Arnold from Westworld all night who brought out all the reserve sotol, mezcals, and tequilas this side of the Rio Grande. The chef is from McAllen, Texas, and while a lot of people might scoff at a taco tasing menu, something that is often labeled as street “dollar food”, it was in direct alignment with my eating as a kid. whether at home having Walmart-laden taco nights, or eating at On The Border (RIP).
This food resonated with me as a Texan 100 percent. A lot of my food writing buddies may say Birdsong or Benu are the best restaurants in SF, but pound for pound, the flavors you get amongst a nice nixtamalized tortilla or bone marrow consomme are impeccable. Desserts were also divine, from granitas to heirloom Mexican chocolate bonbons. I walked out with a stupified smile on my face, not that full, but in a perfect state of mind.
16. Rintaro (San Francisco):
The closest you'll get to Tokyo or Shibuya is at Rintaro. No questions asked. They have charcoal-grilled parts of every part of a good bird, dressed dishes, raw offerings, and udon-laden plates that will entice you to keep pouring their immense sake, Japanese beer, and drink menu.
I threw down here with my mom lol on my 31st and it was a blast, but if you are looking to have a blowout celebration with the same cost as a bottle at one of these nightclubs here in LV, this is the spot.
Shout out to Raku here in Vegas, the quiet, burgeoning, younger brother to Rintaro.
17. Chubby Fish (Charleston):
I'm not gonna front. Low-country cuisine is fire and is unique to the South. I see all these red-sauce, derivative "New American" spots opening up left and right, and yet I hardly see chefs just making simply intervened food with great ingredients done right.
Chubby Fish in Charleston knows. Raw Bar? Not my fave, or oysters, just too minimal for my ravenous palate, but they provide the freshest.
What perks my ears here are the small plates and large offerings. From triggerfish tempura, grilled wreckfish with cabbage and beet butter, to a show-stopper whole flounder cooked to the T and brimming with the right amount of caper brown butter, to the "not fried" chicken ice cream.
No gimmicks. Just hits, even with some curveballs. Trust. The DIY, IYKYK nature of the spot is why I feel like Charleston has the highest ROI of any southern town. Everything is centrally located, meaning you can walk from the famed Highline Brewery to this restaurant without going through Uber surge pricing and getting a workout in between.
18. Kato (Los Angeles):
I think if you add up all of my experiences in restaurants growing up, Chinese food buffets would rank number one. This bastardized version of a vast cuisine was my foray into the food of this region, and not until I stayed in and ate in the Valley did I get a true appreciation for Chinese cuisine and the vast regional differences—from spicy Sichuan to peppery Chengdu, to regional dishes in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
When I first visited Kato, it was located in a strip mall in an overlooked part of LA, now they have a Michelin star and are perched in the suburban sprawl known as the Row, where American Apparel used to be headquartered, only a stone’s throw from Skid Row.
The cooking, however, has elevated. The drinks remain steady, and if you want a true all-around education of a Tawainese-American experience try out Jon Yao’s tasting menu.
From riffs on cold noodles, Chinese donuts, a creative spin on a Shabu-Shabu experience (in a few bites minus the steam), a lobster-heavy homage to the valley’s OG Chinese seafood establishment, Newport Seafood, to a perfect Polaroid snapshot of Tawainese beef noodle soup, you get all the flavors of a perfect Chinese/Tawainese meal in about 10 plates.
I was always a sucker for the desserts at these “Chinese restaurants” from pearl rice to sticky buns with sweetened black curd. Here you get Yao’s takes on a pineapple cake and sticky egg yolk bun, two of my favorites.
I wanted to include a place like Wing Lei here in Vegas or Bonnie’s in BK for my Chinese fix on this list, but I could not overlook this meal and the overall experience from someone born and bred in LA, where cultures roam vast and everyone can find their community and proper establishments that hit home.
I don’t know what is so Chinese about this Donut with Serrano Ham and Caviar, but I think it’s the rice flour.
19. Audrey (Nashville):
I've been a fan of Sean Brock for a long time. Since visiting his restaurant Husk in Charleston, and following his story from his Chef's Table appearance to being on Anthony Bourdain numerous times, I appreciate how he showcases local ingredients and recipes of the old tyme south with new flair and refined touch.
That goes to say when he decided to open a slew of restaurants in Nashville, namely Audrey, and June, I was intrigued. Audrey is sleek, and dimly lit., and a very sexy spot. It is like a museum that meets a rustic Mountainside cabin on both the exterior and interior.
The menus change seasonally but one staple is always ancient grains and ingredients that are native to the South— especially ones that have been overlooked for decades. Think cornbread made with heirloom corn. aged beef cheek beef with okra and Appalachian buckwheat Groats with chicken and dumplings. Desserts showcase a pawpaw custard, long forgotten in dining rooms but with a flavor akin to stewed peaches and brown sugar.
He sources everything locally and utilizes ingredients that have been ingrained in Southern food culture since the 1800s and before, which makes Audrey one of the best restaurants in Nashville.
20. Owamni (Minneapolis):
Perhaps no restaurant on this list is of the moment in capturing the national dining zeitgeist as much as Owamni in Minneapolis. Chef Sean Sherman has seen a treasure trove of recent nominations and awards ranging from James Beard noms to Food and Wine Mag accolades and I agree.
Sherman is a Native American Chef who aims to promote indigenous ingredients and present what he calls a decolonized dining experience. Located on a sacred site for the Dakota and the Anishinaabe people the restaurant overlooks the Mississippi River and is amongst one of the most attractive dining spaces in the Twin Cities.
Diners are welcome to a sign that says “You Are on Native Land,” and the dining experience consists of preparations that are fine dining in nature but are truly recuperating and recovering Native American dishes. He predicates himself on the menu being cooked on live fire with minimal added sugars and other sorts of outside ingredients much akin to what you would eat on a Native American site.
Expect dishes like a duck sausage pate, bison tripe with white corn, a pheasant croquette, and a green chili mutton, served with blue corn tortillas.
What shines are the desserts, as all of these are gluten-free and have no added sugar. Some might scoff at that, but the fact that the entire menu is predicated on game meats, vegetables like Honey Nut squash, and nixtamalized corn presentations, alongside these desserts of seaweed sorbet and a black bean cake are very amendable. Not sacrificing in flavor whatsoever. This is how I typically eat at home when I'm not dining out.
Seeing this type of cuisine unique to the land, on a dare I say an elevated stage, with a great backstory, makes this a great reason to visit Minneapolis.
21. Middle Child Clubhouse (Philadelphia):
Middle Child Clubhouse is an all-day hangout that doesn't take itself too seriously but is the type of spot where you want to drink and eat at— whether at 2 p.m. or midnight. Breakfast sandwiches, classic Philly hoagies, and killer spritzes come daytime, to a nighttime menu where you can have a bone-in rib eye for swordfish Milanese.
Once night falls, you order one of the best burgers in the country and their signature okonomiyaki-style, Flying Saucer-size Latka alongside a whole pitcher full of Negronis, or their seawater margarita all without breaking the bank.
Everything Clubhouse is doing showcases the type of spot where people ask me what my favorite type of restaurant is: Great PR, great brand image, killer merch, an all-day menu, great drinks, and an eclectic menu. and hell, even great dessert— their key lime pie beats some of the best iterations of the dish that I found in all of Florida.
Can I just move in here? I can support the Phillies but by no means will I back the dirty Birds.
22. Topolomampo (Chicago):
One distinct memory I have of my father on weekends is him always putting on PBS cooking shows from about noon to 6 p.m. and snoozing somewhere from 4 beyond. From there. I would be introduced to various chefs from Lidia Bastianich, Simply Ming, to my favorite. Rick Bayless, would showcase his travels to different places in Mexico, from Oaxaca to Mexico City to Baja and everything in between. Little did I know he was also the brother to the infamous sports-talking head, Skip Bayless.
With his mustache and somewhat Spanish look, I could have always mistaken him for a native. Nonetheless, his trio of Chicago restaurants are among the country's best Mexican restaurants. When I went there with my brother, we started with a flight of different mezcals—sucking on oranges and taking down numerous Ceviche dishes before we devoured our stomachs full of mole, different sorts of meats, and various tlayudas. You really can't go wrong with any of his restaurants, but the one that I recommend the most is Topolobampo. Frontera is a great lunch spot, but mans don’t do lunch.
The food is excellent and don't get me started about cultural appropriation. Bayless has paid his dues and the food here is better than many places native Mexican chefs are helming.
Fuck carbs, live happy. Btw… How is that BLT looking better than any such sandwich on the West Coast? Magic shit.
23. Bludorn (Houston):
Bludorn to me is if the previously mentioned Delmonico’s had a 21st-century rebrand. Chef Aaron Bludorn has gone on to open numerous other spots but his OG restaurant reigns supreme. On an average night, you could get some prime rib or one of the chef's signature pot pies.
But beyond the food, the dining room is transformative, it is always bustling, with people dressed to the nines, the drinks are flowing, the lighting bringing out that best side of you, and daily specials that will have you marking off your calendar.
24, Street 2 Kitchen (Houston):
Much like watching your favorite player go from rookie to All-Star, seeing that penny stock rise to being a blue-chipper— Street 2 Kiitchen’s rise in the Houston dining scene is unparalleled. I remember them being just a farmer’s market stall to having their cute little restaurant in a dingier part of town in an old broken down Burger King turn into one of the hottest tables inside the entire city.
Chef G and her partner Graham have both made this a great Thai food destination, making unapologetically authentic Northern Thai dishes, a premier spot for natural wine and cocktails, and a homey spot where you can take anyone and they will leave with a smile on their face. Since the last visit, they have moved into a new space and have won a James Beard award and there is no other restaurant in this country that I'm more happy for than them.
The Pork Sticks are a pressed pate and scallion pancake mixed into one, and their weekend steak special—is amongst one of my favorite steak preparations this side of the Mississippi.
25. Rodney Scott BBQ (Various Locations/Charleston):
I like to think of myself as an amateur barbecue historian. I have tried the best barbecue spots in all of Houston, Dallas, Austin, and other various spots of the country, but I must say that my favorite spot off top would have to be Rodney Scott BBQ in Charleston.
I would have Horn BBQ on this, but unfortunately, they had an arson incident that burned down their entire Oakland operation, but shout out to their beef ribs, my singular favorite thing to eat in this great land.
Rodney Scott does one thing exceptionally well, and that is their whole-hog style of barbecue. The pork shoulder is among some of the best that I've had and their spare ribs are equally as good but to judge a true barbecue place, you have to get the entire menu and the sides.
The Turkey breast, catfish, and chicken are all equally as good. The brisket rivals its Texas competitors. The sides bang—from its cornbread, hush puppies, and collard greens. The perfect souvenir. In my opinion, is a bag of skins crispy puff-fried pork skins with Rodney's signature rub.
The funny thing is, I got this entire meal and wanted to enjoy it after my workout. I didn’t have a microwave in my hotel room and used an old-school Mr. Coffee Maker to heat it up and it stayed fresh and equally as good even through this McGuyver-ing. One thing that did not need reheating was Rodney’s grandma's signature banana pudding. I have had ‘Nilla Wafers with cream and bananas many times in the South. This was just sumptuous. It made me wanna hug my mom and random strangers on Charleston’s Water Street for no reason. Think I might forgo taking some molly for this the next house show I go to.
Honorable mention: Truth BBQ / Corkscrew down in Houston.
26. Sarma (Boston):
For such a big city that is arguably one of my favorite and cleanest cities in America, Boston really has two signature restaurants. The latter is Neptune Oyster. which barely missed this list, but the other one is Sarma.
Modeled after the back-street markets of Turkey— Sarma is a small-plate restaurant that draws in the best flavors of Greek, Persian, Turkish, and Levantine cuisines with great cocktails, traditional drinks like Arak, and a great natural wine menu. The menu can appease carnivores, vegetarians, and everyone in between.
From shish kabobs featuring non-traditional shish-kebab meats, like a Harissa BBQ duck, to plenty of mezze from a pork souvlaki to a rich scallop tagine.
Nonetheless, the veggies here are equally compelling and are some of the freshest preparations that I've had, which is funny because It is not coming from Cali or the PNW but from this farm-to-table restaurant nestled in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
From rainbow carrots with tangerine tahini to honeydew melon with tomatoes, dates, coconut yogurt, and sumac; these are some of the brightest and most direct vegetable-forward dishes that I've had all year. That doesn’t mean dressed to the nines but letting nature’s bounty do the talking.
27. Kasama (Chicago):
Whether you're coming during the day for its array of amazing pastries from their eclair-shaped Danish topped with Serrano ham and salmon, their creative spins on traditional Filipino dishes like lumpia/longganisa., or are coming for the country's first and only Filipino fine-dining tasting menu… Kasama is always a good time.
I had never really been introduced to the nuances of Filipino Cuisine until a couple of weeks ago when I was in a Filipino supermarket and a kind lady bought me an array of different sorts of pastries and Ube filled Delicacies for me to try that brought me back to visiting this place while I was in Chicago.
The restaurant has had tremendous acclaim even while expanding during COVID. The pair recently won a James Beard award and rightfully so. You're not going to find food like this anywhere else in the Midwest, or this west of Manila.
28. Four Horsemen (New York):
Hey Siri! Play “All My Friends” by LCD Soundsystem. That will get the vibe going. I've always been a James Murphy fan, but I think one of his greatest all-time achievements is opening Four Horsemen. It is the quintessential natural bar and restaurant in America that rivals and usurps the cafes of France or the breezy streets of Barcelona.
The food here is always changing. One day you could have an amazing crepe with Beurre blanc and sausage. The next day, you could have a whole grilled flounder, and that's the beauty of it. Every time come in, try a new different bottle of wine and the bistro-approved specials of the day.
Unrivaled pairings between food and wine are what makes Four Horsemen great. Many will imitate, but few can duplicate.
29. Peasant (New York):
When it comes to Italian food, cooking from the hearth is just as important as fabulous pasta, pizzas, and other carb-laden dishes at Chef Mark Forgione’si NoLita hot spot. The wood fire oven is front and center and the true star of the menu is a family-style pig roast— where you get an assortment of antipasto such as Mustardo sausage peppers. ‘Nduja, a Caesar, Guanciale garlic bread and pistachio pesto. Then what awaits is a centerpiece of a whole rotisserie suckling pig made right to order and presented to the table with stone ground polenta, seasonal vegetables, salsa verde, and best of all— a brick iron-laden apple crisp with bacon and chocolate chip cookies.
Finally, an Italian restaurant where the meats are front and center.
30. Barley Swine (Austin):
Before the influx of different chefs and the diaspora of different individuals— Let's leave it at that, that arrived in Austin, Chef Bryce Gilmore was at the forefront of the city's burgeoning, local food movement, From developing relationships with local farms and the use of seasonal ingredients— he developed this hyper-local tasting menu.
The menu changes frequently but expect dishes like beef tartare on tallow toast, cured antelope shiitake dumplings, and aged Akayushi Ribeye. Desserts shine here like the sunchoke frozen custard, a play on the traditional Dippin Dots dessert.
I see Carrot Cake, I order it. Can never recreate it.
31. Eem (Portland):
Believe it or not, but Portland is one of the leading cities in the US in terms of Thai food. From all-day cafes to fine dining institutions. Portland has no shortage of restaurants that specialize in this type of cuisine but what better to combine Thai flavors with hardy Texas barbecue?
Combine those elements and add in a bustling Tiki Bar and you have this Northeast Portland hot spot. Here you can get all the burnt ends mixed with fried rice, and white curr, but be sure to order the sweet and sour fried chicken. The atmosphere rivals many cocktail bars across the country— with better food, better lighting, and drinks that will have you doing a Texas two-step in no time.
32. Sushi Den (Denver):
The best overall sushi restaurant in America is in Denver. *Scoffs* The beauty of this spot is that there is something for everyone— from quick Izikaya bites to a full-on omakase dinner. Since 1985, brothers Yasu Kizaki and Toshi have served as Denver’s ambassadors to Japanese Cuisine.
They take their role quite seriously, sourcing fish daily often from their younger brother at the Nagahama Fish Market in Japan.
Must orders are the Aburi (lightly torched and buttery flesh) tuna belly, as well as the snow crab nigiri, topped with Roe and Smelt Roel. Be sure to also order the broiled Yellowtail collar or the black cod marinated in miso and sake (Nobu who?).
The surprises don't stop there. Sushi Den makes one of the best banana cream pies in the nation. Melting in your mouth as easily as any piece of fish, an unlikely end-off to any adventure here.
33. Nue (Seattle):
Some restaurants claim their cuisine is eclectic but in reality, what is often billed is that is just a generic mishmash of different Cuisines that ends up being unrefined and without any direction. (I.E. think of boring dishes, like kimchi hot dogs). At this Seattle restaurant, a dinner here is just plain fun— from the memorabilia on the walls to the late hours.
The crew always has different sorts of iterations on their menu that will take you on an inter-continental expedition. What to order? Start off with their South African Bunny Chow— a traditional chicken masala, in a Pullman bread bowl topped with crema and lime zest. Another great order is the Barbadian-style crispy fried pig ears—with jerk spices and a sweet and sour glaze, think of it as chicharrones on steroids.
As far as Mains go, the Balinese barbecued spare ribs are the way to go. Pork spare ribs marinated in garlic with galangal and fragrant lemongrass and turmeric. Be sure to leave room for dessert as the Danish vanilla butter cake is a showstopper.
34. Ox (Portland):
A few weeks back. I wrote an article about Argentinian food culture how they have a tremendous reverence for steak and how Asado culture dictates how they eat and feel about meat inside of their nation.
When I first got to Portland, this was the first restaurant that I tried.
Me and my friends were seated next to the hearth and saw huge cuts of beef laden with rosemary and garnished and great olive oil being sent out like huge medallions to overflowed patrons. This all came alongside boiling bowls of killer bone marrow clam chowder and empanadas.
Nothing was overly salty. Nothing was overly buttered. It was just a traditional Argentinian Steakhouse done right.
35. Don Angie (New York):
There is nothing subtle about this West Village red sauce joint. The cheese dishes are topped with more cheese. Take the stuffed garlic flatbread that comes in eight cheesy, highly enjoyable pieces, or the impressively-sized Chrysanthemum salad lined with, you guessed it— even more Parm. The entrees range from a great piece of grilled fish or steak to a veal cutlet topped with cured meat.
The portions are huge and you can't just share these with just one person. Caveat—, me and my brother could kill these, but you might also leave with a sense of existential dread about what you didn't get to try. The sweet potato dish is a must-order. The gnocchi as well.
However, the main thing to order on the menu is the Gargamelli Giganti. Imagine big fat strands of Guardianelli tucked into chunks of meatballs cooked into a salty, delicious guanciale and pecorino Ragu. It is essentially the spaghetti and meatballs of your childhood but taken to the next level.
36. Maty’s (Miami):
There are dozens, if not hundreds of different Peruvian restaurants in the Miami area. Yet what separates Maty’s is that it is a hotbed of Nikkei cuisine; the blending of Japanese and Peruvian flavors. Here you have an homage to the James Beard award-winning chef’s grandmother, an elegant love letter to her childhood cooking with a delicate approach to this style of food.
The dishes here are equal parts familiar, but also exhilarating as most plates are only a handful of ingredients, but plated gorgeously, and much is the ethos of this restaurant. The Oxtail Soltado is not cheap but the generous portion and deep flavors justify the price as is everything on the menu.
Pair it with some natural wines and other dishes such as the Chicken Milanese or the roasted Dorade and you're in for a great night.
The dining room is airy and minimalistic, and the plates perfectly encapsulate a breezy night out in the beautiful city of Miami.
37. La Taqueria (San Francisco):
Let's paint this picture. It was at the tail end of my month in San Francisco last year, full of Michelin-star restaurants, acclaimed Bib Gourmands, and what I felt was a complete capture of the city's culinary scene when I was somewhat exhausted of having nightly bills of 200+, the tropes of fine dining, when I had my last meal in the Bay.
This was at La Taqueria. Simply put, this is the best bang for your buck restaurant on this list. It features some of the best Barbacoa and Lengua meats that I've ever had, while also being the the best burrito in the United States.
You know a place is good when it can stand inside a car for more than four to five hours, and You can relish the burrito even Inside your small hotel’s microwave. I had a come-to-Jesus moment eating these gelatinous meats, coupled with a coma-smoked array of peppers, onions, and spices.
38. Locust (Nashville):
If you would have told me that the coolest restaurant in Nashville is known for serving Kakigori, a Japanese-style shaved ice dessert alongside dumpling dishes I would have thought you were smoking sherm. Well, that is so the case at this Nashville hot spot.
On a single day, you might find shrimp toast and an array of different dumpling options from traditional Southern chicken and dumplings to more Cantonese or Japanese influences alongside a great sake, or their signature Toki highball. It's a shame that the restaurant is only open for lunch now.
The menu changes every month. But one thing is for certain, you'll find great raw seafood preparations and grilled options such as the grilled curry Dover sole on this month's menu, or fixtures like their beef tartare hand rolls— a clever take that blends in the chef's traditional French and Japanese influences.
39. The Grey (Savannah):
The once slept-on city of Savannah, Georgia is now one of the most underrated food cities in America. Think of it as a little brother to Charleston. One such restaurant that is at the epicenter of the town's culinary scene is Chef Mahashma Bailey's The Grey.
Located in a renovated Greyhound bus station, the space is imaginative with low lights, 19th-century awnings, and decorative features while the food marries the stick-to-your-ribs goodness of a soul food meal with technique-driven presentations and a showcasing of historic ingredients of the old South.
Start with the sweet potato date mole with Brenne seeds or the English pea falafel. Then venture off to the mains where a lamb chop with shishito and whipped feta awaits. However, the two stars of the show are the sweetbreads glazed in a ham hock vinaigrette and the smoked pork shoulder with a squash caponata and a serving of the turnip cake.
Pretty, but serving size= 1.
40. N7 (New Orleans):
When I think of New Orleans, the first image that comes to my mind is, of course, Bourbon Street, then the architecture, the friendly demeanor of locals, and the overall easygoing laissez-faire vibes of the city. The one restaurant that I always associate with the city is N7, a beautiful garden of Eden-decorated bistro in the Bywater neighborhood.
N7 is a neighborhood, French restaurant and wine bar. That is exactly the type of place perfect to take a date, your parents, a group of friends, or anyone else and rest assured they will have a good time here.
The food is nothing heavy, but not lacking in butter or cream either. It’s the perfect stepping stone from a small-plate wine bar to an actual dining destination.
Some of the highlights of the menu include the beef tataki, and pork belly. And the barbecue tiger prawns. The food here is meant to be shared. They have great charcuterie, desserts, and other dishes that make this more of a French bistro turned nighttime bacchanal botanic wine garden.
Best of all, no one under 18 is allowed.
Family > Friends
41. Delmonico’s (New York):
There is not much that hasn’t been said about Delmonico's— billed as America's first fine dining restaurant, this institution Is so synonymous with American steakhouse culture that it has a cut of steak named after it, as well as many other additions to the nation’s culinary lexicon such as Chicken à la King.
If this video doesn't make you want to visit Delmonico's, I don't know what else.
Skip Peter Lugers, and go here or 4 Charles.
Outside of the cuts, the entrees, sides, and mains all shine, but make sure you leave some real estate in the stomach for the desserts, especially the baked Alaska, flambeed tableside, making it one of the most photogenic and iconic sweets in all of New York.
Some things get better with time and some things stay the same. One thing that remains is that Delmonico's is the quintessential, American Steakhouse.
42. Petra and the Beast (Dallas):
Let's not call a spade a spade here. The food scene in Dallas for the size of the town seriously lacks. Regardless, I will say that one of my favorite restaurants in all of America is Petra and the Beast.
It includes all the things that I enjoy about a good restaurant. A solid tasting menu that's affordable, a la carte nights with BYOB. Great attention to fermentation. Nose-to-tail cooking. Farmed ingredients from their little garden out back, and different foraging techniques, and in total you have one of the most inventive and original restaurants in all of Texas in this unassuming location.
The menus change seasonally and they now have a killer brunch menu as well that makes me want to question my fasting habits to come and check it out.
If this was in my city, it would be my family restaurant. Great natural wines, nose-to-tail cooking, and an attention to fermentation that could rival any cool hip Copenhagen restaurant.
True craft here. No bullshit, no excessive salt. Nose to tail cooking at it’s best.
Random Diatribe:
This week my laptop was cooked, literally. I got to my small Macbook Air at about 1 A.M. last Monday only to see it give me the screen of death. What preceded was a week of hell, going to public computer dens, persurading local IT departments to give me their keys, and making excuses back and forth.
I have creative deadlines for myself, beyond work and this week really challenged that. I learned that we are really beholden to our devices, even though I limit my *phone* screen time to less than hour, work and life permits to laptop hours that go way beyond that. Nonetheless, I am bringing you this list this week a few days later than average.
I feel guilty, but I just want to ensure the best content. So much content is discontingeuous and just trying to grab a dollar. I don’t care. Just know I want you to read this (or a sentence or 2) and grasp something from it. Lord knows I give it 110% percent in everything I do daily.
Best Songs of the Week:
Every week ebbs between late night sleep songs, workout ragers, to the weekly indie/everything queue.
I admire your passion for writing despite the challenges you faced.
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