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"Best restaurant" lists are tricky. How can any sensible eater compare an iconic pizza parlor or the joint that serves that simply transcendent cheeseburger with the lapidary perfection of a French Laundry or the genre-bending inventiveness of a WD-50? On what terms is it possible to stack the culinary monuments of Manhattan, Chicago, or Los Angeles up against the really-very-good but necessarily more modest establishments of, say, Buellton or Murphysboro? Talk about apples and oranges.
And yet here we are offering a best restaurant list of our own.
You may quarrel with our results, quibble over the panel's choices; ask how we could call that dump a "best" or why we left out that temple of gastronomy. It would be astonishing if you didn't, in fact. We're not presenting objective truth here. In case you haven't noticed, there is no objective truth when it comes to taste in restaurants (or anything else).
Rather, think of this list as the Senate of Culinary Greatness in our country -- every region, cuisine and price level is represented. It's the best of the best from each league, which is the reason why Katz's sandwiches can stand alongside Peter Luger's steaks and Arthur Bryant's barbecue alongside Bazaar's molecular gastronomy. We think our list turned out pretty well, and sincerely thank our panelists for helping us refine it. We stand behind these restaurants -- and would sit down happily at any of their tables.
For the full list of the 101 Best Restaurants in America and a slideshow, visit TheDailyMeal.com.
1. French Laundry Yountville, CA
2. Per Se New York, NY
3. Le Bernardin New York, NY
4. Daniel New York, NY
5. Alinea Chicago, IL
6. Blue Stone Hill Barns Pocantico Hills, NY
7. Chez Panisse Berkeley, CA
8. Jean Georges New York, NY
9. Citronelle Washington, DC
10. Inn at Little Washington Washington, VA
11. Masa New York, NY
12. Bern's Steak House Tampa, FL
13. Peter Luger New York, NY
14. Katz's Delicatessen New York, NY
15. WD-50 New York, NY
16. Babbo New York, NY
17. Commander's Palace New Orleans, LA
18. Arthur Bryant's Kansas City, MO
19. Bazaar Los Angeles, CA
20. Frontera Grill Chicago, IL
21. Clio Boston, MA
22. Frank Pepe Pizza New Haven, CT
23. Zuni Café San Francisco, CA
24. Joe's Stone Crab Miami, FL
25. Momofuku Ssam New York, NY
26. The Pit Raleigh, NC
27. Minibar Washington, DC
28. Del Posto New York, NY
29. Fonda San Miguel Austin, TX
30. Lotus of Siam Las Vegas, NV
31. Canlis Seattle, WA
32. Cochon New Orleans, LA
33. Frasca Boulder, CO
34. Pizzeria Bianco Phoenix, AZ
35. Coi San Francisco, CA
36. Spago Los Angeles, CA
37. Galatoire's New Orleans, LA
38. Kreuz Market Lockhart, TX
39. Guy Savoy Las Vegas, NV
40. Atelier Robuchon New York, NY
41. Casa Mono New York, NY
42. The Hitching Post II Buellton, CA
43. Cut Los Angeles, CA
44. The Four Seasons New York, NY
45. CityZen Washington, DC
46. Osteria Mozza Los Angeles, CA
47. Joël Robuchon Las Vegas, NV
48. Locanda Verde New York, NY
49. Marea New York, NY
50. Herbfarm Seattle, WA
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2-23-2011 @2:41PM David Detrick said... Melisse in Los Angeles was overlooked !! It is arguably year in and year out the Best Restaurant in LA. Chef Citrin is truly outstanding !!
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2-23-2011 @3:58PM JT said... I live in Seattle. Canlis is not the best restaurant here, merely the one that's gone out of it's way to cultivate the name-dropping crowd. It's vastly expensive, which is primarily why people like to say they go there. The Herbfarm is good; however, not in Seattle, but in Woodinville some 20 miles away. I guess the raters of this survey couldn't be bothered with real research in our little back water. Try Cafe Campagne or Perche' No.
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2-23-2011 @3:55PM Gary said... What no McDonald's the most visited restaurant in the world....
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2-23-2011 @4:01PM Blossom said... When we ate at the Bern in Tampa, the steak was awful, and service bad!!!
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2-23-2011 @4:28PM HELEN H said... Galatoire's and Commander's Palace are definitely NOT the best restaurants in New Orleans. Your researchers seem to be name droppers. There are so many non-touristy out-of-the-way restaurants that are far more superb and far less expensive.
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2-23-2011 @5:00PM Frank R.... said... Do the "experts" putting this list together spend much time outside of the East and West Coast power centers and playgrounds? Of the "top 50", 17 are in New York and 4 are in the D.C.--Virginia area. Combine those with the 11 that are in California and with the nearbly 3 in the Las Vegas playground, and these four centers account for 35 of the 50. That's 70% of the best ot the best. Seems to me that they ought to look at how well they actually covered all fifty states.
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2-23-2011 @5:00PM cmh said... hope no one paid to have their restaurant listed here!
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2-23-2011 @6:14PM David Alan said... 11 STATES OUT OF 50. This is far from representing every region, cuisine, and price level. In West wood New Jersey you will find BANCHETTO FEAST , lunch under $10, Dinner Under $20, restaurants like this one get over looked almost by all the critics, except by the real American people. I would love a list of real restaurants, non ZAGAT. The one with real creativity, dignity, and honorable prices.
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2-24-2011 @1:08AM Sanmojester said... Melisse is hands down the best restaurant in the LA area. Amazing food, wonderful service. How does this list miss one of the few LA restaurants to get two Michelin stars (and more than deserves it)?
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2-24-2011 @5:05AM Clifford Roth Band said... The best restaurant in America is probably on your corner, the small guy who has to sell quality to stay afloat, Greets you at the table occasionaly and doesn't say, "Hi, I am your server Mustafa, and on this bright and rainy day, Would you prefer bottled water imported from the Dead Sea or from a melting Glacier?" Our specials are what did not sell last week.. How about fermented sardines burnt over imported coals? Or flame broiled using wood collected in the trash bin?"
Try the Pizza or B B Q joint, keep It Simple, Stupid! Small business should be defined as a family operation.
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2-24-2011 @9:59AM I said... FRENCH LAUNDRY JUST A GREAT NAME FOR A RESTAURANT THAT IS NUMBER 1. SAY ARE THERE ANY VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS ON THIS LIST. THEY WOULD BE THE ONES I AND 10% OF THE POPULATION WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING?
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2-24-2011 @3:12PM ottokatz said... Only one for the whole state of Connecticut, and it's for pizza? Really??
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2-26-2011 @6:04PM Scott said... the website is dreadful to get through, reload for each damn restaurant? really? I"d rather scroll through... and very few restaurants listed out of the NW, Chicago, Philly? REALLY? even Boston? a pizzeria or some pulled pork haven is above others? some barn market in TX (Kreuz)?
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