For almost thirty years, Esquire magazine has put out its annual list of Best New Restaurants of the Year.
Their 2012 overall winner is The Optimist in Atlanta, which the magazine dubbed "A soaring, convivial spot, the Optimist has a hopping oyster bar shaped like a surfboard, a first-rate cocktail program, and seafood cooked with old-school expertise over a wood fire."
THE FULL LIST OF ESQUIRE'S BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2012:
"Restaurant of the Year: The Optimist, Atlanta, Georgia
Chef of the Year: Roberto Donna of Al Dente, Washington, DC
Design of the Year: Juvia, Miami Beach, Florida
Dish of the Year: The Roast Chicken at The NoMad, New York City
Restaurateur of the Year: Gabriel Stulman, Perla, New York City
The Fourth Annual Esquire Restaurant Hall of Fame Inductee: Drew Nieporent
The Other Best New Restaurants of 2012:
Gusto, Los Angeles, California
Gwynnett St., Brooklyn
Sbraga, Philadelphia
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
AQ, San Francisco
Campo, Reno, Nevada
Underbelly, Houston
ELM, New Canaan, Connecticut
Carter's Kitchen, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
The Macintosh, Charleston, South Carolina
The Southern Steak & Oyster, Nashville Tennessee
Bäco Mercat, Los Angeles
Barrio Queen, Scottsdale, Arizona
Bierbeisl, Beverly Hills, California
Sobou, New Orleans, Louisiana
Five New Chefs to Watch:
Ryan Hildebrand, Triniti, Houston
Ryan LaRoche, Nomi Kitchen, Chicago
Matthew Lightner, Atera, New York City
Adam Mali Brasserie S&P, San Francisco
Joe Ng, Redfarm, New York City"
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
