2014 U.S. TOP 100 RESTAURANTS - JUST MISSED
116
SWAN OYSTER DEPOT
SWAN OYSTER DEPOT
They have been shucking fresh oysters since 1912 at this restaurant that some find reminiscent of Barcelona's Cal Pep. Besides oysters, there are clams and other assorted shellfish on offer, along with chowder, seafood salads and seasonal specialties like Dungeness crab. And if the idea of a large pile of sparkling-fresh shellfish isn't enough of a lure, the countermen are total characters.
Bubbling under.
Bubbling under.
117
ELIZABETH'S
ELIZABETH'S
Iliana Regan’s serves what she describes as “new gatherer cuisine,” which basically means that she combs various woods and forests, gathering wild fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and herbs. There is also “an element of science” going on in Regan’s cooking (an obvious nod to her days as a server at Alinea,) but reviewers say the ingredients “are used in such a thoughtful way that you barely notice.”
Bubbling under.
Bubbling under.
118
FORAGE
FORAGE
Is there better evidence of the advancement of progressive cuisine than a restaurant in Salt Lake City serving dishes like leeks roasted in coals, and elk with onions and fermented plums? Reviewers say “it’s worth a special trip” to sample Bowman Brown’s cooking.
Bubbling under.
Bubbling under.
119
SUSHI RAN
SUSHI RAN
As a marker for how successful this place has been since it was purchased by Yoshi Tome, it has expanded from the 26 seats it offered in 1986 to the 90 it offers today. A stickler for quality, Tome shuns items that other restaurants serve (like frozen fugu), resulting in the majority of his fish being flown in from Tokyo's Tsukiji Market. In addition to the delicious sushi, cooked dishes include a slow-cooked duck breast with crispy Yukon potato, pear-shallot chutney and mint-parsley oil.
Ranked 69 in 2012.
Ranked 69 in 2012.
120
NICHE
NICHE
Gerard Craft’s restaurant is the hands-down winner for best restaurant in St. Louis. Featuring what was described as "hearty and soul-satisfying farm-to-table cooking," Craft's menu tantalizes diners with offerings like a foie-gras banh mi with carrots, radishes, cilantro and jalapeno; lasagna stuffed with truffled béchamel, wild mushrooms, fontina cheese, a farm egg and sage brown butter; and a crispy pig trotter stuffed with a mixture of leg meat and chanterelle mushrooms.
Ranked 71 in 2013; Ranked 66 in 2012.
Ranked 71 in 2013; Ranked 66 in 2012.
