16. CATBIRD SEAT
Nashville, TN
17. MOMOFUKU KO
New York, NY
18. BAUMÉ
Palo Alto, CA
19. RED MEDICINE
Los Angeles, CA
20. NEXT
Chicago, IL

18

Photo Courtesy of: Food Gal

Baumé
Palo Alto, CA

201 S. CALIFORNIA AVE
650-328-8899
WWW.BAUMERESTAURANT.COM

Because so many of the top restaurants in the country are in the Bay area, this one – located in the oldest part of Palo Alto – can easily be overlooked. But reviewer after reviewer sings its praises, and we hope that the leap in its rank, all the way from number 90 in 2012 (it’s our third biggest mover), will inspire more of our readers to schedule a visit. Bruno Chemel describes his cooking as “French cuisine moderne with a Zen touch.” The result can be a dish of leeks, Burgundy truffle Gigha halibut and shiso, or lantern scallops with lichee, lilikoi and chocolate. One could argue that this is the most underrated restaurant in the country, but those who have had the good fortune to eat Chemel’s cooking say things like, “molecular gastronomy-informed dining that tastes great and is filling