The French Laundry was named "Best Restaurant in the World" in 2003 and 2004 and has a three star Michelin rating. (Cindi Avila)
According to the Daily Meal's just-released annual list of the 101 Best Restaurants in America, Thomas Keller's French Laundry is the country's finest restaurant.
Ranking high on the list are other perennial fine dining favorites, such as Gramercy Tavern (#2) Le Bernardin (#3) and Eleven Madison Park (#5). In all, 27 New York restaurants made the list. Chicago and Los Angeles both had seven, with eateries like Alinea and Bazaar, and Boston had three.
But there are some also decidedly down home dining spots like Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, Conn. and Mission Chinese in San Francisco.
Editorial director of The Daily Meal Colman Andrews and 173 other judges selected the restaurants based on cuisine, region and factors such as the level of formality and buzz and the prices.
“To be exceedingly fair, the ranking gives equal weight to highbrow eateries like The French Laundry and less expensive institutions like Shake Shack in New York,” the editors said in a release. “If it’s good food, it’s fair game.”
Here are the 101 Best Restaurants in America (2013):
1. The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif.
2. Gramercy Tavern, New York, N.Y.
3. Le Bernardin, New York, N.Y.
4. Momofuku Ssäm Bar, New York, N.Y.
5. Eleven Madison Park, New York, N.Y.
6. Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, N.Y.
7. ABC Kitchen, New York, N.Y.
8. Babbo, New York, N.Y.
9. Girl & the Goat, Chicago, Ill.
10. Cochon, New Orleans, La.
11. Shake Shack, New York, N.Y.
12. Jean Georges, New York, N.Y.
13. Daniel, New York, N.Y.
14. Alinea, Chicago, Ill.
15. Chez Panisse, Berkeley, Calif.
16. Del Posto, New York, N.Y.
17. Per Se, New York, N.Y.
18. Commander's Palace, New Orleans, La.
19. Zuni Cafe, San Francisco, Calif.
20. Animal, Los Angeles, Calif.
21. Gotham Bar & Grill, New York, N.Y.
22. Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles, Calif.
23. Bouchon Bistro, Yountville, Calif.
24. Husk, Charleston, S.C.
25. Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas, Nev.
26. Franklin BBQ, Austin, Texas
27. Mission Chinese, San Francisco, Calif.
28. August, New Orleans, La.
29. Masa, New York, N.Y.
30. Bar Tartine, San Francisco, Calif.
31. Marea, New York, N.Y.
32. WD-50, New York, N.Y.
33. Vetri, Philadelphia, Pa.
34. Beast, Portland, Ore.
35. The Publican, Chicago, Ill.
36. Ippudo, New York, N.Y.
37. Inn at Little Washington, Washington, Va.
38. Blackbird, Chicago, Ill.
39. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, New Haven, Conn.
40. Galatoire's, New Orleans, La.
41. Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria, New York, N.Y.
42. La Taqueria, San Francisco, Calif.
43. Bazaar, Los Angeles, Calif.
44. Torrisi Italian Specialties, New York, N.Y.
45. Guy Savoy, Las Vegas, Nev.
46. Spiaggia, Chicago, Ill.
47. Xi'An Famous Foods, Queens, N.Y.
48. Di Fara, Brooklyn, N.Y.
49. Spago, Los Angeles, Calif.
50. Next, Chicago, Ill.
51. Cut, Los Angeles, Calif.
52. Coi, San Francisco, Calif.
53. Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, Brooklyn, N.Y.
54. Quince, San Francisco, Calif.
55. FIG, Charleston, S.C.
56. Michael Mina, San Francisco, Calif.
57. é by José Andrés, Las Vegas, Nev.
58. Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder, Colo.
59. NoMad, New York, N.Y.
60. Bern's Steak House, Tampa, Fla.
61. Alan Wong's, Honolulu, Hawaii
62. O-Ya, Boston, Mass.
63. Clio, Boston, Mass.
64. State Bird Provisions, San Francisco, Calif.
65. Komi, Washington, D.C.
66. Craigie on Main, Cambridge, Mass.
67. TRU, Chicago, Ill.
68. Yardbird Southern Table and Bar, Miami, Fla.
69. McCrady's, Charleston, S.C.
70. Joe's Stone Crab, Miami, Fla.
71. Kreuz Market, Lockhart, Texas
72. Lucques, Los Angeles, Calif.
73. Le Pigeon, Portland, Ore.
74. SriPraPhai, Queens, N.Y.
75. Hominy Grill, Charleston, S.C.
76. Zahav, Philadelphia, Pa.
77. Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix, Ariz.
78. Al Di La, Brooklyn, N.Y.
79. City Grocery, Oxford, Miss.
80. The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, Calif.
81. Fore Street, Portland, Maine
82. Michael's Genuine, Miami, Fla.
83. Jaleo, Las Vegas, Nev.
84. Al Forno, Providence, R.I.
85. Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, Las Vegas, Nev.
86. Dahlia Lounge, Seattle, Wash.
87. The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.
88. Canlis, Seattle, Wash.
89. Congress, Austin, Texas
90. Underbelly, Houston, Texas
91. Catbird Seat, Nashville, Tenn.
92. Woodshed Smokehouse, Fort Worth, Texas
93. Sushi Yasuda, New York, N.Y.
94. Fearing's, Dallas, Texas
95. Minibar, Washington, D.C.
96. The Four Seasons, New York, N.Y.
97. Benu, San Francisco, Calif.
98. Stella!, New Orleans, La.
99. Providence, Los Angeles, Calif.
100. Rasika, Washington, D.C.
101. Lola, Cleveland, Ohio
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