The question I’m asked most often is, “How does a restaurant get on ‘the list.’” That list can be any compilation of notable restaurants from the stars to Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants.
My answers depend on the kinds of restaurants that open, the trend lines that emerge or what kind of buzz they create. With so many restaurants delivering spectacularly delicious meals, earning a spot on the list can come down to thoughtful and seamless hospitality, such as a shawl offered in a cold dining room, or chic reading glasses brought by a server who noticed me struggling with the weeny menu text.
Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants list is more than a snapshot of our editors’ year in dining. It's a guide to help you discover new flavors and cuisines and visit new places.
In this issue, the Bon Appétit team presents 19 restaurants in 16 cities with dozens of memorable dishes that will answer such questions as Hey, what IS Caribbean cuisine? Wait, is that gumbo? And, where should I travel next for an incredible meal?
To make my personal best-of-the-best list, the meal must be complete in terms of flavor and technique, from the pre-meal cocktails to dessert—like an album with no skips.
Read on to see which restaurants made the cut.
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