Current Leaderboard for Best New Restaurant
After a tumultuous 2020, thousands of new restaurants have opened across the country. We asked a panel of food and travel experts to nominate their 20 favorite restaurants that opened in the past year, ranging from chef-driven fast-casual concepts to high-end dining with a focus on hyper-local and sustainable ingredients. Vote for your favorite once per day until voting ends on Monday, December 20 at noon ET. The 10 winning restaurants will be announced on Friday, December 31. Read the official Readers' Choice rules here.
After a tumultuous 2020, thousands of new restaurants have opened across the country. We asked a panel of food and travel experts to nominate their 20 favorite restaurants that opened in the past year, ranging from... Read More
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1. Empress by Boon - San Francisco, CA
After thirty years with Michelin-starred restaurants... More >
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2. MDRD - Grand Rapids, MI
MDRD has found its niche in the Grand Rapids restaurant scene... More >
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3. Hawksmoor - New York City
"London's hottest steakhouse – a favorite of big-name... More >
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4. Dear Margaret - Chicago, IL
This Chicago tribute to Executive Chef Ryan Brosseau’s... More >
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5. Matū - Beverly Hills, CA
Of all the steak houses around the United States, only one... More >
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6. The Chastain - Atlanta, GA
Every neighborhood needs a good comfort food restaurant, and... More >
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7. Best Quality Daughter - San Antonio, TX
Chefs Jennifer Dobbertin and Quealy Watson have developed... More >
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8. Ember & Ash - Philadelphia, PA
This fantastic candlelit restaurant is best shared with... More >
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9. Foresta - Abingdon, VA
Abingdon, home to Foresta, has won our Readers' Choice Award... More >
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10. Owamni - Minneapolis, MN
Chef Sean Sherman of the Oglala Lakota brings thirty years of... More >
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11. Little Original Joe's - San Francisco, CA
Since 1937, Original Joe's has brought outstanding pizza to... More >
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12. Dory - Memphis, TN
In most restaurants, the menu is the same, and returning... More >
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13. Rose Mary - Chicago, IL
This beautiful new restaurant in Chicago's West Loop reflects... More >
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14. Kan-Kan Cinema and Brasserie - Indianapolis, IN
The European-themed Brasserie, tucked inside an eclectic... More >
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15. Grafitto - Savannah, GA
Savannah's bustling new Riverfront Station redevelopment... More >
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16. The Barish - Hollywood, CA
The Hotel Roosevelt on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been a... More >
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17. Mama Dut - Portland, OR
Mama Dut brings Vietnamese cuisine with a vegetarian twist to... More >
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18. Moo's Craft Barbecue - Los Angeles, CA
Lincoln Heights has gone through many changes since it was... More >
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19. Acqua di Luca - Cleveland, OH
Chef Luca Sema and his sommelier wife Lola have opened their... More >
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20. March - Houston, TX
Dinner at March is an exploration of the food and history of... More >
The Experts
10Best Editors
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased... Read More
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production... Read More
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
Kae Lani Palmisano
Kae Lani Palmisano is the Emmy Award-Winning host... Read More
Kae Lani Palmisano is the Emmy Award-Winning host of WHYY's Check, Please! Philly, a television show that highlights dining throughout the Philadelphia region. She also writes and hosts WHYY’s Delishtory, a digital series exploring the history of food. As a freelance food and travel writer, she has been published in KitchenAid Stories, Resy, USA TODAY, 10Best, Roads & Kingdoms and more.
Kae Lani Palmisano
Kae Lani Palmisano is the Emmy Award-Winning host of WHYY's Check, Please! Philly, a television show that highlights dining throughout the Philadelphia region. She also writes and hosts WHYY’s Delishtory, a digital series exploring the history of food. As a freelance food and travel writer, she has been published in KitchenAid Stories, Resy, USA TODAY, 10Best, Roads & Kingdoms and more.
Tomiko Harvey
Tomiko has established herself as one of the most... Read More
Tomiko has established herself as one of the most recognized Black Travel writers and top champions of diversity in the travel industry. She gives voice to the underpaid and overlooked Black content creators through her platform and her work with the Black Travel Alliance. Tomiko’s journey inspires audiences to dream big. Through personable and articulate storytelling, she shares her visionary ideas for harnessing the power of observation and creative problem solving, applicable to any organization or community. It’s all about taking responsibility while looking for opportunities to improve. Check out Tomiko's work at Passports and Grub and follow her adventures on Instagram @tomiko.harvey.
Tomiko Harvey
Tomiko has established herself as one of the most recognized Black Travel writers and top champions of diversity in the travel industry. She gives voice to the underpaid and overlooked Black content creators through her platform and her work with the Black Travel Alliance. Tomiko’s journey inspires audiences to dream big. Through personable and articulate storytelling, she shares her visionary ideas for harnessing the power of observation and creative problem solving, applicable to any organization or community. It’s all about taking responsibility while looking for opportunities to improve. Check out Tomiko's work at Passports and Grub and follow her adventures on Instagram @tomiko.harvey.
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.
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.
Robert Niles
Robert Niles is the founder and editor of Read More
Robert Niles is the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, an online consumers' guide to the world's leading theme and amusement parks, read by more than 400,000 people each month. It has been named the top theme park site on the Internet by Forbes and Travel + Leisure magazines and was a Webby Award finalist and winner of the Online Journalism Award, presented by the Online News Association and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Robert is a former Walt Disney World cast member and has worked as a reporter, editorial writer, columnist and website editor for several newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register.
Robert Niles
Robert Niles is the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, an online consumers' guide to the world's leading theme and amusement parks, read by more than 400,000 people each month. It has been named the top theme park site on the Internet by Forbes and Travel + Leisure magazines and was a Webby Award finalist and winner of the Online Journalism Award, presented by the Online News Association and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Robert is a former Walt Disney World cast member and has worked as a reporter, editorial writer, columnist and website editor for several newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register.
Chez Chesak
‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor... Read More
‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, an adventure travel writer, board member of the Society of American Travel Writers and 22-year veteran of the outdoor and travel industries. While he’s lived all over the U.S. and traveled to more than 30 countries, he has the most fun when he’s exploring with his wife Sally and two daughters. An avid outdoors person, he’s happiest on a trail, on skis, or nestled into a sleeping bag. Learn more about him and his work at www.chezconnects.com.
Chez Chesak
‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, an adventure travel writer, board member of the Society of American Travel Writers and 22-year veteran of the outdoor and travel industries. While he’s lived all over the U.S. and traveled to more than 30 countries, he has the most fun when he’s exploring with his wife Sally and two daughters. An avid outdoors person, he’s happiest on a trail, on skis, or nestled into a sleeping bag. Learn more about him and his work at www.chezconnects.com.
