Stone Barns isn't just an exquisite fine-dining restaurant serving magnificent tasting menus; it's an experiment, a laboratory, a learning center, and a model for the future of agriculture. Read more.
Al Ameer shines as an example of hospitality and superb cooking. They also run a butcher shop, an advantage that shows in the freshness of their peerless stuffed lamb. Read more.
Ludo Lefebvre’s runs this tiny, open-all-day, card-only, walk-in-only spot. In his hands classics like rolled omelets, butter-drenched burgundy escargot, and croque monsieurs have refinement and moxie Read more.
The elegant dining room at Justin Devillier’s Garden District charmer unwinds the senses with flawless dishes like crab beignets and turtle Bolognese. Read more.
Chef-owner Enrique Olvera and chef de cuisine Daniela Soto-Innes won over New York with triumphs like lush, crackly-skinned duck carnitas for two and their cornhusk meringue with silky corn mousse. Read more.
Saison’s tasting menu costs $398 per person. Before a meal veers into sea urchin, abalone, and hairy pig, for example, you might be served a mound of caviar paired with biscuits fresh from the oven. Read more.
Singling out one Tex-Mex restaurant above all others in the Lone Star State? Let’s squabble at Garcia's, while we scarf down a Deluxe Mexican Dinner plate and some of the unorthodox and awesome tacos. Read more.
Cassie Piuma maps out an exhilarating survey of the herbaceous, sun-baked flavors of the Middle East. Her recipes meld with the local seasons, assisted by produce from the farm of co-owner Ana Sortun. Read more.
Frank Stitt's elegant presentation of regional cuisine is as vital as ever. The restaurant’s hospitality has long been equally distinguished as its food. Read more.
Gavin Kaysen draws on cuisines from around the globe for inspiration, but he always links his menu back to the upper Midwest. Read more.
Hugo’s recounts chef Hugo Ortega’s culinary travels, research, and memories through his native Mexico — gastronomic stories told via dishes that are complex, but always balanced. Read more.
The combined flavors in the sorrel rice bowl suggest how sunshine on a lemon tree might taste, and the ricotta toast painted with three jams resembles a flag to which I’d gladly pledge allegiance. Read more.
After a meal of tuna poke, fried oyster and beef carpaccio in lettuce wraps, and twice-cooked pork, don’t miss the "baked Hawaii," a torch-bronzed meringue filled with caramelized pineapple ice cream. Read more.
Dishes like lamb on toothpicks and hot pots with a dozen different animal cuts bubbling in red oil show off exceptional clarity of flavor and an alchemical approach to spicing. Read more.
Dishes, like savory puffed Dutch baby pancakes with roasted broccoli, aged cheddar, beer mustard, and pickled fennel, have the kind of punchy, finessed flavors you’d expect at dinnertime. Read more.
Stay the night to fully relax into the spectacular setting; sitting down to the array of local fruits at breakfast is a waking dream. Read more.
If Savannah red rice or shrimp and andouille gumbo happen to be revolving through the menu (which is as terrific at lunch as it is at dinner), you know exactly what to order. Read more.
Menus evolve daily with the season, but there’s no escaping the Zuni classics: the iconic roast chicken for two, the trend-igniting burger, and the bowl of polenta that is surely more dairy than corn. Read more.
This year’s renovation made America’s most audacious fine-dining restaurant more interactive and more luxurious — which is to say, better than ever. Read more.
Corey Lee’s unique, eloquent, and lavish bridging of East and West cuisines is in itself a reason to visit the Bay Area. Read more.
The oyster bar of everyone’s dreams also sneaks in surprises like dashi chowder and green curry lobster stew. Read more.
Only one meal in Charleston? Make it Mike Lata and Jason Stanhope’s paragon, which takes its cues from the Lowcountry’s abundant waters. Read more.
Bobby Stuckey leads the most attentive service team in America; thrilling Italian cooking and an astounding wine list send the meal over the moon. Read more.
Like seeing the Grand Canyon or the Statue of Liberty, everyone should experience the long waits and ample rewards of Franklin Barbecue at least once. Read more.
Nola’s myriad cultures assimilate on Donald Link and Rebecca Wilcomb’s graceful menu. Read more.
Multidimensional tastes of the South coalesce onto gorgeous plates at Sean Brock’s genial tour de force. Read more.
Bonnie and Israel Morales offer the most spirited introduction to Russian dining (and drinking!) in America. Read more.
Even with a global empire, David Chang’s East Village prototype still best exemplifies his radical, game-changing approach to casual counter dining. Read more.
Korean flavors mark the starting point for Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark’s unexpected but always exceptional forays into global flavors. Read more.
Smoky pies from the godfather of America’s pizza revolution can still rewire synapses with their greatness. Read more.
Ashley Christensen’s flagship blends high-low dining and Southern-French sensibilities (oh, that macaroni au gratin!) in a singular ode to Americana. Read more.
Trace the unending hot chicken craze right back to the long, long lines at Andre Prince Jeffries’ perennial must-vist. Read more.
Paul Kahan defines the twenty-first century beer hall, serving a raucous excess of craft brews, oysters, and pork. Read more.
Get off the Strip to find the true soul of Vegas dining at this Japanese robata grill specialist. Read more.
Carlo Mirarchi takes a uniquely freethinking approach to composing a menu; his inventiveness begins with — but reaches far beyond — unbelievable pizza. Read more.
Often-lengthy waits for a table end with calming hospitality and Aaron Silverman’s strikingly thrilling acts of culinary daring. Read more.
The kitchen at Spike and Amy Gjerde’s always-thronged flagship mines the Chesapeake region’s under-rated culinary treasures, which reach far beyond blue crab. Read more.
To best appreciate Mike Solomonov’s passionate, exuberant distillation of his Israeli heritage, bring a group, and prepare to feast on mezze and smoked lamb. Read more.