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2011 Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S.

 

contents:

Culinary Trends
Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S.
Top 10 New Restaurants
Top 40 Cheap Eats
Top 10 Steakhouses
Top 10 Hotel Restaurants
Top Restaurateur: Michael Mina
Top 5 Rising Chefs

Top 10 Insider Picks

Enjoy GAYOT.com's 2011 Annual Restaurant Issue!

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose: The more things change, the more they stay the same. In this, our 2011 edition of our Annual Restaurant Issue, we see many regulars on our GAYOT.com Top 40 Restaurant list that keep showing up year in and year out. While trends come and go, and tastes change, these top toques keep providing their customers not just with fine food but with top-quality overall dining experiences. We also salute the newcomers who joined the exclusive list for the first time, as well as our winners in other categories. We understand that this country's culinary culture is multifaceted and vast, but we hope our team of local writers and editors from Hawaii to Maine has assembled a true reflection of the American dining landscape from a well-founded, experienced, professional perspective.

Oregon hunters stalk pricey wild morels and matsutake

In the Mood for Matsutake?
CULINARY TRENDS

Pies are giving cupcakes a run for their money, high-end foragers are seeking the holy grail of exotic wild foods like lichen and lily buds, and bartenders are amping up handcrafted cocktails with garden herbs and vinegar syrups. Learn more about what we can expect in the world of food for 2011.


Eat Pray Love
TOP 40 RESTAURANTS IN THE U.S.


From coast to coast, we salute the 40 restaurateurs and chefs that consistently deliver a stellar dining experience. You'll find many familiar faces who make our list year after year — which makes it all the more impressive for the newcomers who find themselves in this exclusive company!

The dining room at L'Espalier in Boston, one of our Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S.



Copperleaf Restaurant in Seattle, which graces our list of Top 10 New Restaurants in the U.S.

Fresh Tastes
TOP 10 NEW RESTAURANTS IN THE U.S.

If you're always looking for the latest and greatest, then be the first of your friends to dine at these new trendsetting restaurants. The key theme this year is local: menus reflect local cuisine, ingredients are sourced locally — even the architecture and décor are in the local style.


Recession-Friendly Fare
TOP 40 CHEAP EATS IN THE U.S.

Besides fine dining, we want to help you find affordable dining. There's no need to stay home and eat ramen when you can pay for a delicious meal with only the change from under your couch cushions. We've got everything from pho to tofu, tacos to tapas, pasta to pancakes. And with food this good at prices this low, you can afford to take a friend, too.

Hungry for a good meal deal?

Prime Steakhouse at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, one of the Top 10 Steakhouses in the U.S.

American Beefeaters
TOP 10 STEAKHOUSES IN THE U.S.

Although a quality piece of meat is relatively easy to prepare, most homes don't have ovens hot enough to make a perfect steak. Check out our ten best spots for meaty treats, which include offerings from top toques and even a burlesque-themed steakhouse.



Dine and Doze
TOP 10 HOTEL RESTAURANTS

Among the must-have amenities for discerning travelers, the signature hotel restaurant helmed by a celeb chef — Michel Richard, Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon — ranks high. We've narrowed down the nation's top options to present to you the ten best.

Spend the night in a great hotel after dining at one of our Top 10 Hotel Restaurants, like Michael Mina Bellagio


Michael Mina, GAYOT.com's pick for top restaurateur in the U.S.

Rarely do Americans say, "Let's eat Egyptian tonight," but more and more of them are lining up at this Cairo-born über chef's restaurants. At 42-years-old, Mina has left an indelible mark on the American gastronomic landscape. With his trademark grand, elegant and visionary concepts, Mina has crafted a culinary empire, and his star is still on the ascent!


Young and Talented Toques
TOP 5 RISING CHEFS

These talented chefs worked hard, studied and trained with top toques, and now they're cooking some of the best food in the nation despite being born less than 30 years ago. We love what they're doing now and we can't wait to see what they'll be doing in twenty years' time. Is it just a coincidence that two of them have "Baker" in their names?

Emma Hearst, chef at Sorella in NYC, one of our Top 5 Rising Chefs


RN74 in San Francisco, one of our Top 10 Insider Picks

Critics' Choices
TOP 10 INSIDER PICKS

Our insider picks each offer a unique adventure that only their respective cities can produce. From the see-and-be-seen scene at The Bazaar in Beverly Hills to Cajun cuisine at K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans, these ten spots offer good food and good times with local flavor.


And much, much more!
THE PANTRY


Restaurant News
Hot openings, closings & more

Our Food Rating System
How it works

Top Restaurant Lists
Brunch, romantic and more

Best Restaurants Across the U.S.
Burgers, pizza and more

Culinary Events Near You
Top events for gourmands

Are You Menu Savvy?
Guide to international food terms

Top 10 Wine & Spirits Lists
Value wines, cheap Champagnes & more

Food & Wine Pairing Guides
Which wine to pour

Tea
The World's Top Drink

Gourmet Foods
The tastiest things in life

Cookbook Reviews
Tomes by top toques

Newsletters
Get plugged in


 


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VALENTINE'S DAY WINES

Add wine to the celebration of love, curated by GAYOT´s Wine & Spirits Editor.

Check the list.

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS

For a rosé bubbly Valentine's Day celebration.

Get the recipes.

GAYOT'S RESTAURANT AWARDSOver the years, we have been electing restaurants to be on GAYOT's Yearly Restaurant Awards.

Check the list.