Restaurant Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. 2004 Reviews

TOP 40 RESTAURANTS IN THE U.S. 2004

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RIALTO
CAMBRIDGE
Is it any wonder that the city that counts many Portuguese and Italian immigrants among its citizenry also boasts one of the most creative Mediterranean kitchens in the land? Although her restaurant’s name would suggest Northern Italy, chef-owner Jody Adams steps boldly into Southern Europe for her inspiration.

SAN DOMENICO NY
NEW YORK
After two decades, Tony May has passed the flame on to the next generation, daughter Marisa and chef Odette Fada. The classic menu now offers delicacies of a lighter taste, a nouvelle style of Italian fare that hit our taste buds with full force. Brava!

SEEGER'S
ATLANTA
Guenter Seeger has made a name for himself in culinary circles, from aspiring chefs to seasoned Atlanta diners. After many years at the flagship property for luxury hotel chain The Ritz-Carlton, he set up his own shop and continues to astound diners.

SPAGO BEVERLY HILLS
BEVERLY HILLS
Anybody who's anyone has had an obligatory cameo here. So often, in fact, that celebs upstage the food, which is truly superb! In a town that's all about glitz and glamor, Wolfgang Puck and executive chef Lee Hefter are among the very brightest stars. And Spago is Tinsel Town's quintessential dining room.

TERRA
ST. HELENA
With the bounty of the Napa Valley on their doorstep, chef-owners Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani also draw from their respective Japanese and Lebanese backgrounds as well as influences around the globe to prepare daringly sophisticated food.

THOMAS HENKELMANN
GREENWICH
Henkelmann's French classic cuisine is simply perfect. His training under some of Europe’s illustrious chefs (Paul Haeberlin, Eckart Witzigmann, etc.) has prepared the German-born chef for this American saga. In a gem of a farmhouse, it's certainly worth the detour.

TRIBUTE
FARMINGTON HILLS
It may come as no surprise to fans of chef Takashi Yagihashi’s cuisine that his first career was in interior design. Not only does he present dishes of unusual depth of flavor, he creates a visual tour de force as well.

TRU
CHICAGO
Try as you might to speak reverently about the singular cuisine of executive chef Rick Tramonto at Tru, our guess is you will be reduced to giggles when you describe which of partner Gale Gand's hand-crafted lollipops you chose upon departing. That’s Tru: a combination of dazzling and delirious.

URASAWA
BEVERLY HILLS
Passion, dedication and commitment to a trade don't get more intense than in the case of Hiroyuki Urasawa—his interactive personal dining show is second to none. Respect for the ingredients, flavor development and masterful preparations abound in this shrine to higher cooking.

VALENTINO
LAS VEGAS
Decades of study of his native food and wine led Piero Selvaggio to build this Las Vegas outpost of his Santa Monica original. Accompanying him on the gamble is executive chef Luciano Pellegrini, who has steered each of Selvaggio's enterprises. Selvaggio's generosity of spirit and Pellegrini's bold cuisine have made this the Mecca for Italian dining in the states.

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