USA TODAY 10Best
Monkitail named best new restaurant of 2017!
Best New Restaurant (2018)
The United States is home to more than a million different restaurants, according to the National Restaurant Association, with hundreds of new options opening up each year. We asked a panel of food and travel experts to nominate their 20 favorite new restaurants to open in the past 18 months, ranging from chef-driven fast casual concepts to high end dining with a focus on hyper-local and sustainable ingredients.
For the past four weeks, our readers have been voting for their favorites, and the results are in.
The top 10 winners in the category Best New Restaurant are as follows:
Photo courtesy of Kemuri Tatsu-ya / Facebook
No. 10: Kemuri Tatsu-ya - Austin
Kemuri Tatsu-ya brings an authentic Japanese izakaya experience to the Texas capital. The flavors of Texas and Japan join forces in memorable dishes like smoked spicy pork ribs with gochujang pepper rub and pickles, chicharon yakitori skewers, BBQ brisket ramen with smoked jalapeño or chili cheese takoyaki.
Photo courtesy of Meraki Greek Bistro
No. 9: Meraki Greek Bistro - Miami
Dining at Meraki Greek Bistro in Miami is like being transported to the Greek Islands. Specialties include homemade gyro meat, an a la carte souvlaki (skewer) bar and a huge menu of traditional appetizers – everything from hummus and dolmades to Greek nachos and homemade meatballs.
Photo courtesy of Brewery Bhavana
No. 8: Brewery Bhavana - Raleigh, N.C.
Part brewery, part dim sum restaurant, part flower shop and part bookstore, Brewery Bhavana is all about community. Open for lunch and dinner in downtown Raleigh's historic Moore Square Park, this new restaurant pours 20 taps of beer alongside a menu of items like braised pork-stuffed buns, scallion pancakes, seafood dumplings and duck egg rolls.
Photo courtesy of Dylan + Jeni / P.Y.T.
No. 7: P.Y.T. - Los Angeles
P.Y.T., a veggie-centered restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, takes its menu inspiration from the fresh produce of a nearby garden. Caspian pink tomatoes might become a tomato tart with créme fraîche, basil, Brebirousse cheese. Fragrant chocolate mint might be used to highlight a dish of handmade pasta with shishito peppers, yuzu brown butter and garlic cream. The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
No. 6: Hart's - Brooklyn, N.Y.
Chef Nick Perkins brings quality, unfussy food to Brooklyn with his new restaurant Hart's, where simple ingredients combine to form memorable dishes that are already garnering a loyal following. Favorites include clam toast (made with bread from local She Wolf Bakery) and a grass-fed lamb burger.
Photo courtesy of Alexandra Hawkins / Rooster Soup Company
No. 5: Rooster Soup Company - Philadelphia
In partnership with Broad Street Ministry's Hospitality Collaborative, all of the proceed from Philadelphia's new Rooster Soup Company go toward supporting those in need. The homestyle menu features soups, salads, sandwiches and hearty blue plate dinners.
Photo courtesy of The Morris / Facebook
No. 4: The Morris - San Francisco
The Morris, a modest and unfussy bistro in San Francisco, serves a simple, seasonal menu from Chef Gavin Schmidt, served alongside a wine and spirit collection curated by founder and sommelier Paul Einbund.
Photo courtesy of Signature Restaurant at La Cantera Resort & Sp
No. 3: Signature, Inspired by Chef Andrew Weissman - San Antonio
Classic dishes get a contemporary twist at Signature, Inspired by Chef Andrew Weissman, the new restaurant at San Antonio's La Cantera Resort & Spa. The seasonal menu features Gulf seafood, house-aged beef, lamb from the Pacific Northwest and fresh produce sourced from the Texas Hill Country.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Roberts / Vicia Restaurant
No. 2: Vicia Restaurant - St. Louis
Vicia, a new restaurant on the St. Louis dining scene, celebrates vegetables as the star of the menu, whether served as a small plate (petite radishes with whipped ricotta and radish top pesto), a sharable main dish (roasted cauliflower with pancetta, grilled apples and cheese) or even a dessert (pumpkin seed financier).
No. 1: Monkitail - Hollywood, Fla.
Monkitail debuted in 2017 at the Diplomat Beach Resort and is already one of Hollywood, Florida's buzziest new restaurants. Inspired by a Japanese izakaya, the eatery from Chef Michael Schulson features sushi, sake and sharable small plates, including wasabi ceviche, pastrami bao buns, bacon yakisoba and duck shabu shabu.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Marla Cimini (USA TODAY), Eric Grossman, Gerrish Lopez and Christopher Parr (Pursuitist) were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of the American food scene.
Congratulations to all these winning restaurants!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Christopher Parr
Christopher Parr is the Founder and... Read More
Christopher Parr is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief for Pursuitist, the leading luxury travel and leisure website. An award-winning travel writer, Parr is also a luxury marketing veteran, a frequent speaker at luxury and interactive marketing conferences and a pioneer in web publishing. He launched Pursuitist in 2010 as a curated list of the good things in life, with guest contributors from Forbes, Mashable, TechCrunch, Glamour, Saveur and more sharing their favorite luxuries. Follow along on Twitter.
Christopher Parr
Christopher Parr is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief for Pursuitist, the leading luxury travel and leisure website. An award-winning travel writer, Parr is also a luxury marketing veteran, a frequent speaker at luxury and interactive marketing conferences and a pioneer in web publishing. He launched Pursuitist in 2010 as a curated list of the good things in life, with guest contributors from Forbes, Mashable, TechCrunch, Glamour, Saveur and more sharing their favorite luxuries. Follow along on Twitter.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel... Read More
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Marla Cimini
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music... Read More
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music and culinary adventures (and combining those whenever possible)! As an avid globetrotter, she encourages respecting and learning about other cultures while traveling. She has visited Hawaii multiple times, and has explored destinations worldwide, including the Mediterranean region, South America, Asia and more. Marla is a contributor to Fodor’s Hawaii guidebooks (Oahu and Kauai 2020) and her articles have appeared in a number of international publications. She calls New Jersey (Philadelphia area) home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter and read her travel tips and adventures on her website.
Marla Cimini
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music and culinary adventures (and combining those whenever possible)! As an avid globetrotter, she encourages respecting and learning about other cultures while traveling. She has visited Hawaii multiple times, and has explored destinations worldwide, including the Mediterranean region, South America, Asia and more. Marla is a contributor to Fodor’s Hawaii guidebooks (Oahu and Kauai 2020) and her articles have appeared in a number of international publications. She calls New Jersey (Philadelphia area) home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter and read her travel tips and adventures on her website.