Just in time for Thanksgiving, a favorite national holiday of America's foodies, OpenTable, Inc. announced the Diners' Choice Awards for the top 100 restaurants in the United States that specialize in American food.
The list of winners is derived from more than 10 million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The honorees, which include Anita Lo's Annisa in New York, FIG in South Carolina, and Michael Symon's Lola in Ohio, represent 30 states and virtually every region of the country, including Hawaii.
The South swept the awards, earning 20 spots on the list, with North Carolina and South Carolina each boasting six winning restaurants.
The Northeast took 16 places among the honorees, with 11 in New York alone.
Ohio and Illinois, with five nods apiece, helped the Great Lakes region earn an impressive 15 wins; meanwhile, the Lone Star State took 10 spots, giving the Southwest a total of 13 awards.
States also on the list of winners include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, and Utah, among others.
"Serving standout American cuisine is more complicated than it sounds," says Caroline Potter, OpenTable's chief dining officer.
"This country's food culture has evolved very rapidly in recent years, yet a strong sense of nostalgia remains that must be honored. The chefs at the winning restaurants are looking ahead and innovating, while also keeping an eye on the past by embracing heritage ingredients and techniques. Pioneers for the modern day, the honorees are not merely evoking America's culinary tradition; they're reinventing it."
Based on feedback collected from OpenTable diners between November 2010 and October 2011, the following 50 restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, received the highest scores from OpenTable diners for having the best American cuisine. For more information about this list, please visit http://www.opentable.com/american.
- A Toute Heure – Cranford, New Jersey
- Abacus – Dallas
- Annie Gunn's – Chesterfield, Missouri
- Annisa – New York City
- Aria – Atlanta
- Artisanal Restaurant – Banner Elk, North Carolina
- Ashley's Restaurant – Little Rock, Arkansas
- Aspen Grille – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Aureole – New York City
- Baker and Banker – San Francisco
- Blue Hill – New York City
- Blue Hill at Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills, New York
- The Blue Ox – Lynn, Massachusetts
- Bluestem – Kansas City, Missouri
- Cafe Routier – Westbrook, Connecticut
- Canoe – Atlanta
- Carpe Diem Restaurant – Charlotte, North Carolina
- Castagna – Portland, Oregon
- Charleston – Baltimore, Maryland
- Charleston Grill – Charleston, South Carolina
- Cheever's Cafe – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Chez Betty – Park City, Utah
- The Classic Cafe – Roanoake, Texas
- Coldwater Cafe & Catering – Tipp City, Ohio
- Communal – Provo, Utah
- Corbett's Fine Dining – Louisville, Kentucky
- Corner Kitchen – Asheville, North Carolina
- Cotton Gin Cabernet Grill – Fredericksburg, Texas
- Courtright's – Willow Springs, Illinois
- Craft – New York City
- Dal Rae – Pico Rivera, California
- Devereaux's – Greenville, South Carolina
- Eddie Merlot's – Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Eleven – Pittsburgh
- Eleven Madison Park – New York City
- Ellerbe Fine Foods – Fort Worth, Texas
- Esty Street – Park Ridge, New Jersey
- Fearing's – Dallas
- Fig – Charleston, South Carolina
- Fire Food and Drink – Cleveland, Ohio
- Flagstaff House – Boulder, Colorado
- Fossett's – Keswick, Virginia
- The French Laundry – Yountville, California
- Glenwood Grill – Raleigh, North Carolina
- Grace – Fort Worth, Texas
- Gramercy Tavern – New York City
- Harry's Restaurant – Manhattan, Kansas
- Herons – Cary, North Carolina
- John Bentley's – Redwood City, California
- Kelties Restaurant and Catering – Westfield, Indiana
- Lahaina Grill – Lahaina, Hawaii
- Lilly's Bistro – Louisville, Kentucky
- LJ's & The Kat Lounge – Hagerstown, Maryland
- Local 127 – Cincinnati
- Lola – Cleveland
- Manhattan Beach Post – Manhattan Beach, California
- Masraff's – Houston, Texas
- McEwen's on Monroe – Memphis, Tennessee
- The Mill at 2T – Tariffville, Connecticut
- Milton's Cuisine and Cocktails – Milton, Georgia
- MK – Chicago
- Mulvaney's B&L – Sacramento, California
- Murray's Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge – Minneapolis
- Nana's Restaurant – Durham, North Carolina
- Niche – St. Louis
- North Pond – Chicago
- Orchids at Palm Court – Cincinnati
- The Owl House – Rochester, New York
- The Parson's Table – Little River, South Carolina
- Paseo Grill – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Peli Peli – Houston, Texas
- Peninsula Grill – Charleston, South Carolina
- Per Se – New York City
- The Prime Rib – Baltimore
- Restaurant Tallent – Bloomington, Indiana
- Restaurant X & Bully Boy Bar – Congers, New York
- River Cafe – Brooklyn, New York
- Riverhorse on Main – Park City, Utah
- Room 39 – Kansas City, Missouri
- Root Down – Denver
- The Root Restaurant & Bar – White Lake, Michigan
- The Schoolhouse at Cannondale – Wilton, Connecticut
- Seasons 52 – Costa Mesa, California
- Seasons 52 – Schaumburg, Illinois
- Seasons 52 – Tampa, Florida
- Silo Elevated Cuisine 1604 – San Antonio
- Silo Elevated Cuisine – Alamo Heights – San Antonio
- Splendido – Beaver Creek, Colorado
- St. John's Restaurant – Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Sweet Basil – Vail, Colorado
- Sycamore BYOB – Lansdowne, Pennsylvania
- Talisker on Main – Park City, Utah
- Talula's Garden – Philadelphia
- Tarbell's – Phoenix
- Vie – Western Springs, Illinois
- Vintage Tavern – Suffolk, Virginia
- Volt – Frederick, Maryland
- Washington Inn – Cape May, New Jersey
- White Barn Inn – Kennebunk, Maine
- Woodberry Kitchen – Baltimore
Diners can also find additional information on the Diners' Choice Awards for the Best American Restaurants in the U.S. by visiting the OpenTable "Dining Check" blog at http://blog.opentable.com.
