Atlanta

Family Tradition

The Firsts

Austin

Open Fire

Burlington

In Good Spirits

Chicago

By Design

The Art Edition

Legacy

Front Row Dining

What’s in a Name

D.C.

Dallas

Denver

To Be Wild

Houston

Kansas City

Los Angeles

Miami

Minneapolis

Napa

Nashville

New Orleans

New York

Orlando

Philadelphia

Phoenix

Portland

Rochester

San Diego

San Francisco

Savannah

Seattle

St. Helena

Tarrytown

Twin Cities

Washington

Washington, D.C.

Washington, VA

Wine Country

Yountville

Illustration for Tock 10 Open Fire collection by C.R. Canseco

Leonore's

Leonore&#8217;s channels Thai-inspired flavors through an open-fire kitchen in Rochester&#8217;s Park Avenue neighborhood. Part of the Swan Family of Restaurants, this intimate and moody spot focuses on seasonal ingredients cooked over flame. The menu rotates regularly, sourcing as locally as possible, while maintaining a commitment to skewers, shareable plates, and a no fuss attitude.

The concept

SAN HO WON

This Mission District Korean BBQ restaurant opened in fall 2021 as a collaboration between three-MICHELIN-Star chef Corey Lee (of Benu fame) and his mentee, Jeong-In Hwang, who moved to SF in 2016 to work at Benu. The name translates to &#8220;Mountain Tiger Origin,&#8221; nodding to Korea&#8217;s respect for tigers as a sacred mountain spirit. For four consecutive years, SAN HO WON has earned a MICHELIN Star for its refined approach to Korean barbecue traditions.

Barley Swine

Chef Bryce Gilmore&#8217;s first brick-and-mortar opened in 2010 after he made waves with the Odd Duck food truck, which has since opened as a celebrated standalone restaurant. The MICHELIN one-Star restaurant—named the city’s best in 2025 by the Austin American-Statesman—serves a seasonally attuned tasting menu that balances refinement with whimsy. Gilmore makes deft use of local ingredients with a Southwestern palate that draws from Mexican and Southern traditions while maintaining global sophistication.

Acre

After honing his skills at restaurants like The French Laundry and Bluestem, Chef Andrew Longres returned home and founded Acre as a tribute to his grandparents&#8217; 850-acre farm, Rolling Acres, in Liberty, MO. The restaurant showcases the finest Midwest ingredients with precision and warmth, with a focus on grass- and corn-fed beef from Kansas and Texas. Everything served could, in theory, be found on that original farm property (albeit a bit more rustically back then)—a philosophy that guides the entire menu.

Abaita

Abaita means &#8220;home&#8221; in both North Italian dialect and Hebrew, the very union that defines this kosher dairy restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. Two chefs, David Donagrandi (who grew up the son of a butcher in the shadow of the Italian Alps) and Sruli Subar, who was raised in Northern Italy, founded Abaita in 2018 with a vision to redefine the kosher dining experience while emphasizing the handmade and personal approach to Italian cuisine.

Sumibiyakitori Kidori

Sumibiyakitori Kidori grills yakitori over genuine binchōtan charcoal imported from Japan, a rarity in the greater Los Angeles area. The restaurant opened in November 2024 through a partnership between the team behind next door Sushi Kisen and Tokyo&#8217;s Sumibi Yakitori Zocalo. The intimate space is located in a strip mall; go through an unmarked entrance behind green curtains.

Barbacoa

Barbecue runs deep in Kansas City and Barbacoa delivers that in a fresh new way: traditional Mexican cuisine made with classic American barbecue methods. The name means &#8220;to cook with fire&#8221; in Spanish and chef-owner Roman Raya (who gained popularity with his 2017 Taco Tank cart turned food stall) makes that literal. To this team, barbecue is more than sauce. It means fire, cooking slowly using smoke, and searing proteins atop live flames.

El Che Steakhouse & Bar

El Che is John Manion&#8217;s homage to Argentina&#8217;s beloved asados—traditional backyard barbecues featuring platters of flame-finished grilled meat. Before opening in Chicago&#8217;s West Loop in 2016, Manion spent years living in Brazil. He brings decades of passion for Latin American cooking to every dish that crosses the flames. The restaurant also features one of the country&#8217;s only all-South American wine lists (a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner) created by wine director Alex Cuper.

Lupo

Lupo is a neighborhood pizza spot in Seattle&#8217;s Fremont area serving naturally-leavened sourdough pies, natural wines, classic cocktails, and house ice cream. Executive chef Cam Hanin, with nearly two decades of experience in Seattle and New York kitchens, perfected his sourdough pizza to create something unique that builds on a traditional Neapolitan approach.

Killen's BBQ

Native Texan Ronnie Killen, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef and multiple James Beard Award® semifinalist, returned to his barbecue roots in 2014 after building a steakhouse empire. The original Killen’s opened in a former school cafeteria, transforming it into a destination for Central Texas-style barbecue. Killen has since opened multiple locations across the Lone Star State to national acclaim.

From wood-fire hearths to yakitori grills, cooking over flame spans traditions from all over the world. Whether it&#8217;s Korean charcoal, Argentine asado, or Missouri white oak, these are the restaurants that harness the primal power of fire.

Tock 10 In Good Spirits illustration by Marcos Montiel

Dante’s HiFi

Miami&#8217;s first vinyl listening bar brings the intimate Japanese listening room tradition to the heart of Wynwood. Here, music isn&#8217;t background noise—it&#8217;s the main event. Music director Rich Medina curates a collection of more than 8,000 vinyl records for the perfect high-watt party, where artists from Chance the Rapper to Anderson .Paak sometimes pop in to hang.

True Laurel

When Chef David Barzelay and bar director Nicolas Torres set out to create a follow-up to Barzelay’s two-MICHELIN-Star, cocktail-driven restaurant Lazy Bear, they looked to the terroir just beyond their doorstep. True Laurel channels the Bay Area’s agricultural landscape in inventive, environmentally conscious ways. The Mission District bar earned the No. 17 spot on North America’s 50 Best Bars 2025, ranked No. 64 on The World’s 50 Best Bars, and received the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2024 for its use of 100% renewable energy and its partnerships with organizations dedicated to native habitat restoration.

The People’s Last Stand

When Kartik Rathore opened this Mockingbird Station bar in 2010—his foray into hospitality—it came at the perfect time as the Dallas cocktail scene was just taking off. More than a decade later, The People&#8217;s Last Stand (affectionately called &#8220;People&#8217;s&#8221;) has become a beloved fixture, where the Old Fashioned has historically outsold both vodka and Miller Lite. That&#8217;s no small feat in a city still finding its cocktail identity. Over the years, the bar has helped set a new standard, joining trailblazers like Cedars Social and Standard Pour in shaping Dallas’ modern drinking scene.

Stargazer

When the teams behind two acclaimed Minneapolis spots—Travail Kitchen and Meteor—decided to collaborate, they asked themselves: What could the future of cocktail bars look like? Stargazer is truly unlike anything else. The ceiling glows with starry lights, the bathroom looks like a spaceship, and the interactive menu is designed like a map of constellations. Somehow, it&#8217;s both intimate and intergalactic.

The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club

Tucked behind an Italian restaurant with an inconspicuous entrance, The Fox blends 1920s Art Deco elegance with Nashville charm: exposed brick, dim lighting, and 1930s flooring from the original pharmacy. The bar pulls off an effortless balance of bold experimentation and timeless classics, crafting an ever-evolving menu with something for everyone.

Death & Co

When Death &amp; Co opened on New Year’s Eve 2006 in Manhattan’s East Village, it almost instantly became a cocktail institution. With its moody aesthetic, marble-topped bar, leather booths, and unbridled creativity, it helped define the modern craft cocktail movement. In 2010, it earned both Best American Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Cocktail Menu at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, later securing a spot on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2012. The bar introduced now-iconic drinks like the Oaxaca Old Fashioned and the Naked and Famous—recipes that appear on menus around the world. Its team has since authored influential books, including Cocktail Codex, winner of a James Beard Award® in 2019. What began as a single, dimly lit bar with exposed brick and bartenders in bow ties has evolved into something unprecedented: the rare hospitality brand that expanded without ever losing its soul.

The Campground

In the historic Stockyards District of Kansas City, couple Christopher Ciesiel and Cristin Llewellyn created an intimate aperitivo bar inspired by their love of backyard entertaining. The environs capture the spirit of the outdoors with flickering candlelight, taxidermy animals, and wild bird glassware. The space is rustic yet refined, with both indoor seating and a seasonal patio.

Molotov Kitschen and Cocktails

Chef Bo Porytko opened Molotov in January 2023 as a tribute to his Ukrainian heritage, creating one of Denver’s tiniest (and coziest) dining rooms, with just 28 seats including the chef’s counter. The dark, intimate space evokes a grandmother’s antiques-filled home, complete with a standout cuckoo-clock collection, Matryoshka dolls, and Soviet-era posters. What Porytko and partner Jareb Parker built caught fire almost instantly: The New York Times named Molotov one of the 50 Best Restaurants in America in 2023, and Porytko has been a James Beard Award® semifinalist every year from 2023 through 2025.

Osito’s Tap

In Chicago’s proud Mexican Little Village neighborhood, a historic greystone building that once housed a Bohemian bar and underground bookie joint for Czech immigrants now holds something entirely different. Mike Moreno Jr., third generation of the Moreno family behind the beloved adjacent Moreno&#8217;s Liquors, opened Osito&#8217;s Tap in 2019. This speakeasy of sorts, hidden behind the store, highlights Latino culture and the hundreds of unique agave spirits they’ve procured. The bar is named after the family&#8217;s chihuahua and store mascot, Osito, Spanish for &#8220;little bear,” who was known for his tough-guy act despite his small size.

Barr Hill

Founded by lifelong beekeeper Todd Hardie and head distiller Ryan Christiansen, Caledonia Spirits moved into its 27k square-foot Montpelier facility in 2019—fittingly located on Gin Lane. Barr Hill Gin is distilled with raw honey sourced from within a 250-mile radius, typically containing 100 to 115 distinct pollen and plant particles. The distillery’s cocktail bar was recognized with a 2024 James Beard Award® nomination for Outstanding Bar Program.

These bars aren’t just mixing drinks—they’re redefining the art of the cocktail experience. From a vinyl listening room where every track shapes the mood to a speakeasy that honors immigrant stories, each destination is a masterclass in craft and hospitality.
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21+ to drink; Please drink responsibly

n/naka

Fourteen years after opening, the pioneering California kaiseki restaurant from Chef Niki Nakayama and partner Carole Iida-Nakayama remains at the forefront of global fine dining—thanks as much to the evolution of its artistry as to the consistency of its execution and service. In 2024, the restaurant underwent its first major design overhaul since opening, which revealed a surer sense of self and softened some harder edges—not unlike what comes with the wisdom of age. Starting at the entryway, a soothing slate palette and subtle details recall a traditional Japanese tearoom. Guests follow a minimalist tobi-ishi–style path into the dining room, where an installation of slender wooden slats frames a circular banquette. Minoru Oyamatsu of Oyamatsu Design Studio and builder Beau Laughlin of Framework oversaw the redesign, which also features gray shikkui lime plaster wall coverings for a softening effect, a wooden slat wall installation, textured wallpaper accents, and handsome walnut furniture by Mano Ya, the artistic collaboration between Zen Sekizawa and Mario Correa.

The design

The Donum Estate

Nestled in the acclaimed wine region of Carneros between Sonoma and Napa counties, this quarter-century-old winery has always sought to balance complex, terroir-driven wines, regenerative organic farming, and fine art. The latter’s proverbial heart unfurls across more than 60 monumental outdoor sculptures integrated throughout Mei and Allan Warburg’s 200-acre estate. The owners’ evolving collection dates back to 2011 and represents a community of artists from 18 nations across six continents, including Subodh Gupta, Louise Bourgeois, and Ai Weiwei. Of course, natural beauty factors mightily into the Donum experience, too, reflected in the minimalist Scandinavian redesign and expansion of its hospitality center, which Danish architect David Thulstrup completed in 2022. Thulstrup added three tasting rooms with expansive windows gazing out at southern Sonoma’s undulating hills. The judicious use of light wood and a mix of midcentury and modern accents creates serene and inviting spaces. Unsurprisingly, impressive artworks accent the interior too, including a site-specific piece by Jeppe Hein featuring three mirrored balloons that gently sway in the wind, creating subtle tricks with the light.

YOSHINO

Precision defines every element of Chef Tadashi “Edowan” Yoshida’s exhilarating omakase counter—including Kentaro Eba’s design, constructed by Tomoya Hayakawa, which evokes an escape into a private, wondrous world. The anticipation mounts as you ring the doorbell outside of the locked front door. A host guides you past the entryways’ intricate kumiko woodwork then tucks you into your comfy Hinoki wood chair, made by hand in the Hida Takayama region of Gifu Prefecture. The Japanese cypress sushi counter on which your elbows rest is itself 300 years old, cured for 50 years after being lumbered, from the same tree found within the halls of Tokyo’s Imperial Palace. If you can bear to take your eyes off the culinary theater before you, glance up at the gotenjo ceiling, also made from Kiso cypress and featuring the same traditional coffering used in ancient Japanese castles. Watching the chefs deftly slice ruby slabs of tuna belly, you might be unsurprised to learn the knives were crafted by a master from Saga Prefecture.

Los Milics Vineyards

Like a fantastical, steel-clad Stonehenge, Los Milics Vineyards rises into view amid neat vineyards and Southern Arizona’s rocky, shrubby Mustang Mountains. This Chen + Suchart Studio-designed tasting room was indeed intended as sculpture first, and space to sip a dozen-odd wines amid the dramatic landscape second. Los Milics’ partners bought the land in 2018 and started transforming the 20 acres formerly used for cattle grazing into a vineyard and production facility. But the tasting room would be their pièce de résistance. Entering a narrow courtyard through the vineyard, the tasting room comes into view between the steel monoliths. Once inside the 3,400-sq.-ft. space, glass walls display expansive views of the vineyards and mountains. Simple, modern furniture from interior designer Vivian Ullman complements the architecture and keeps the focus on the landscape.

Cyrus

A decade after Chef Douglas Keane closed his acclaimed Healdsburg restaurant Cyrus, the concept was reborn as an ebullient, progressive dinner party in the quaint wine country town of Geyserville. Olson Kundig designed the restaurant inside a former prune packing plant; an old-growth plum tree in the courtyard nods to its past life. The modern, concrete and glass structure sits just above the ground level to lend the illusion of floating above the surrounding vineyards. Through a custom steel door, a dozen diners begin their tasting menu experience with bubbles and canapés in an informal lounge overlooking the rolling landscape. They stroll past a transparent wood and glass wine room into the main kitchen, where a U-shaped “Kitchen Table” offers unobstructed views of the food prep. There Keane chats a bit while assembling omakase-style courses, which are illuminated by soft spotlights. The final act whisks diners to the warm, subdued dining room with expansive views to outside for a few savory bites and mignardises. But wait! There’s one more stop in the hidden, Willy Wonka-inspired chocolate room for a sweet ender in the company of a custom chocolate fountain wall. This is dinner theater at its finest.

Mable's Restaurant & Patio

Beneath the marine layer of Northern California’s Tomales Bay is a beguiling slip of water that straddles Point Reyes National Seashore on one side and vast swaths of grazing acreage on the other. No wonder the renovated Lodge at Marconi and its in-house restaurant—designed by New York’s celebrated firm, Home Studios—took inspiration from the otherworldly surroundings. The 100-seat restaurant takes a decidedly midcentury modern, coastal bent, incorporating bespoke dining chairs, tables, and barstools. The color palette homages West Marin’s stunning natural landscape via warm woods, adobe reds and rich, oceanic blues. The space makes thoughtful use of local materials, including cedar paneling, extensive millwork, and Bay-area-made Heath Ceramics tiles.

Feld

Chicago native (and TikTok sensation) Jacob Potashnick, never intended to open a typical restaurant. So why should the design of this 20-seat, relationship-to-table eatery follow the rules, either? Enter through the foyer and pass a display of that day’s ingredients, sourced from mostly within a four-hour radius, mind you. In the dining room, Chicago-based design firm Variant Collaborative reimagines the counter seating made popular by omakases by taking cues from theatrical traditions and moving seating to banquettes that hug the walls and place food prep front and center as if on a stage. Ambient and focused lighting amp up the sense of spectacle as diners move from the entry to the dining room, while the neutral color palette and use of natural materials mirrors the unfettered raw ingredients dotting the menu.

The Monarch Bar

During his many globetrotting work travels throughout the 2010s, David Manica, architect and owner of Kansas City-based Manica Architecture (which also has outposts in London and Shanghai), couldn&#8217;t help but notice a theme of beautifully design-forward bars. So, he decided to build one himself in Kansas City. He teamed up with Brock Schulte, Kenny Cohrs, and Mark Church of Liquid Minded Concepts to create this singular concept inspired by the migratory patterns of monarch butterflies, which opened in 2018. A glistening installation of 1,000 acrylic butterflies floats over the central marble-topped bar, which is edged by comfortable velvet and leather seating and modern art. The space breaks out into the open Main Bar, approachable from all sides with no back bar to obstruct sightlines; a stylish all-seasons patio; and a private parlor room—each with original cocktails to match. Not only is the place routinely heaving with locals and tourists alike, but it keeps collecting accolades. A semifinalist for the James Beard Award® for Outstanding Bar Program and Tales of the Cocktail’s Best American Cocktail Bar, the bar was also named North American Cocktail Bar of the Year by Nightclub &amp; Bar in 2019.

Bella Union Winery

First opened in 2012 in a different space, Bella Union Winery’s current location used to be unceremoniously known as the “big red box,” an industrial eyesore lining the Highway 29 wine tourist route. Architect Mike Neimann of Pacific Building Workshop and JK &amp; Co. dramatically transformed the property with a contemporary facade sans pretense—with the goal of creating a chill place to have a good time over delicious wine. Just inside the entrance, the signature tasting room, the Atrium, recalls a Belle Epoque-style brasserie dressed in blonde woods. Spaces of varying shapes and sizes encourage different experiences, like the intimate Salon, outfitted in plush green velvet, and The Gallery overlooking the barrel room. The literal jewel in the redesigned crown is the Jewel Box, a glass-walled tasting room on the second floor with sweeping views of the famed Rutherford district.

Tsukimi

Japan’s long held harvest festival of Tsukimi (which translates to “moon viewing” and celebrates the moon at its fullest and brightest) is notable for its quiet reflectiveness—a ritual observed at home with loved ones. Takanori Akiyama and Karen Lin’s 12-seat, East Village kaiseki counter of the same name takes inspiration from these themes of contemplation, gratitude, and meaningful gathering in every aspect of the elegant design and whimsical food. Tsukimi’s interior, designed by Studio Tack, uses repeated circular patterns to establish a focused visual field aimed at slowing the mind down. Diners sit at long counters in framed seats, symbolizing permanence and purpose. Mirrored panels and illuminated shelves bearing ceramics mimic the diffused, reflected light of the moon as it appears on landscapes and in water. Meanwhile, the old brick facade and mosaic tile floors from the previous restaurant remain as narrative reminders of the inevitability of change.

We eat—and drink—with our eyes first, a notion these restaurants and wineries take to heart through their immersive designs. In these environments, we might feel like we’re floating above ground while we nibble appetizers or that we’ve been absorbed by a massive art installation that doubles as a tasting room—all in service of crafting a delicious, hospitable experience we’ll never forget.

Illustration of staff at a restaurant having family mean inside the kitchen.

Archipelago

When Amber Manuguid and Aaron Verzosa traveled to the Philippines in 2016, they found that the land of their ancestry didn’t quite define who they had become. Rather, they existed in what they describe as “in-between of identities” as Filipino Americans. The husband-and-wife team founded Archipelago as a way to own and explore their identities through food and storytelling. In turn, they&#8217;ve created an experience uniquely their own.

Family history 

Brochu's Family Tradition

In 2020, Chef Andrew Brochu was planning his own concept after earning a reputation in some of Chicago&#8217;s most noteworthy kitchens. Then came the pandemic and the chance to relocate south to his wife’s hometown of Savannah. Here, they discovered a vacant loading dock of a 1930s supermarket and partnered with longtime friends and chosen family, Chefs Dave Baker and Georgia Vinzant Baker, plus Andrew’s sister and brother-in-law, Jessica and Ben Kimbrough. The result is a cool neighborhood hangout that feels akin to a boisterous family reunion.

Chifa

Fifty years in the making, the story of Chifa starts when Wendy Leon moved from Hong Kong to Lima, Peru with her family in the 1970s. There, she ran a Cantonese restaurant while also learning about Peruvian flavors from her husband’s family. Fast-forward to today: Leon is proud Popo (grandmother) to her large family and matriarch of a revamped iteration of Chifa in L.A.’s Eagle Rock neighborhood. The heartfelt partnership between siblings Ricardina (“Rica”) and Humberto Leon, and Ricardina’s husband, John Liu, serves modern twists on Wendy’s recipes.

Hendrix & Siena

Chef Rhett Roberts knows a thing or two about feeding a growing family.  After WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, i.e. volunteering on organic farms in exchange for room and board) through Italy, cooking in top Twin Cities kitchens, and becoming dad to twins Hendrix and Siena, he and his wife, Emily, opened their own cheerful spot in Hopkins. Dedicated to their kids, the Roberts’ rustic Italian neighborhood restaurant welcomes even the tiniest (and messiest) eaters to enjoy crowd-pleasing plates of bruschetta, handmade pastas, roast chicken, and classic deck-oven pizzas.

Nichelini Family Winery

As the oldest continuously family-owned and operated winery in Napa County, the Nichelini homestead traces back to the 1890s. Five generations and 135 consecutive harvests later, winemaker Aimée Sunseri continues to make her great-great-grandfather Anton Nichelini proud, overseeing the entire grape-growing and wine-making process—and winning the Best Woman Winemaker title at the 2023 International Women&#8217;s Wine Competition. She describes her job as making outstanding legacy wines that she hopes guests share with their own families.

Family history

For husband-and-wife team Colby and Megan Garrelts, their circa-2012 restaurant, Rye, is a true labor of love, not only for Kansas City and the Midwest, but for each other. The two chefs first met in the kitchen of Chicago’s TRU and went on to cook together in Las Vegas and Los Angeles before putting down roots in Colby’s hometown of Kansas City. There, they’ve earned a devoted following for their warm hospitality and family-style comfort foods—so much so that they published a cookbook in 2015 and opened a second location on the iconic Country Club Plaza in 2017.

T'ähä Mexican Kitchen

Chef Fidel Gomez’s journey is nothing short of epic. From washing dishes in a small Mexican restaurant in Arkansas to becoming an acclaimed chef with his own Little Hacienda in Missouri, Gomez’s decades of hard work have been fueled by his generous spirit and desire to uplift the next generation. His newest concept in Kansas City, T&#8217;ähä Mexican Kitchen, is a testament to that legacy. Opened in 2024 alongside his son, Jose, T&#8217;ähä is quite literally a dream come true—the name translates to “dream” in Otomi, the language of the largest Indigenous group in central Mexico.

Tatsu Dallas

Tatsu gets its name from fourth-generation sushi master Tatsuya Sekiguchi. With every slice of his blade, he pays homage to his Japanese lineage, where a young Sekiguchi watched his father carry on the traditions of their nearly 100-year-old restaurant. At the last turn of the century, Sekiguchi ventured to New York, bringing his dad’s skills with him. Those lessons landed him a role at the helm of famed Sushi Chef Naomichi Yasuda’s self-titled restaurant in Manhattan for a decade before building a place of his own. Now, his wife, Hiroko, serves as the okami, or chief service manager, overseeing Japanese hospitality standards.

The Oasis by Hoopes Vineyard

Before Napa was Napa as we know it today, Spencer Hoopes was cultivating grapes and promoting the region’s terroir. The pioneer purchased a 10-acre plot in 1981—more than a decade before Thomas Keller joined The French Laundry a couple of miles away, putting Yountville on the culinary map. Spencer’s daughter, Lindsay, grew up among the vines with a deep respect for the land before pursuing a career in law and even working for then-District Attorney Kamala Harris. When her dad’s health declined, Lindsay returned home to keep his legacy alive while also making a name for herself as the proprietor. Thanks to her legal prowess in navigating challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and California wildfires, Wine Industry Advisor named her one of 2021’s Most Inspiring People.

Tiya

Philadelphia may be the City of Brotherly Love, but San Francisco boasts Tiya, a new Indian concept from brothers and chefs Pujan and Sujan Sarkar. Each built an impressive résumé of awards and accolades on their own (including a MICHELIN Star for Sujan’s Indienne in Chicago) before joining forces for the first time at Tiya. Together, they reinterpret their native cuisine with a fresh, contemporary lens—enhanced by the West Coast’s exceptional bounty of produce and seafood.

A restaurant can feel like a second home for regulars, staff, and even the community. But when it’s family-run, that feeling is even more palpable.
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These are the places where food, wine, and loved ones come together to celebrate shared traditions and create new ones.

Semi-abstract illustration of a lime green fork in a green bowl of yellow spaghetti with flowers

FREVO

Your experience at this avant-garde restaurant begins in an art gallery. Enter through the front exhibition space before being ushered into the dining room through a discreet, art-covered door. The shift in atmosphere creates a dramatic transition as guests settle at the 18-seat chef&#8217;s counter. Brazilian-born and French-trained chef Franco Sampogna fuses visual storytelling with flavor, building each plate like an abstract work of art.

The concept 

Merchant Roots

Before becoming a chef, Ryan Shelton studied color theory in art school, dissecting the way light is portrayed in ancient, classic, and modern painting. At Merchant Roots, Sheldon starts with recognizable and familiar flavors, makes them sharp and distinct, and presents them in a way that’s new and exciting. Projected artwork shifts throughout dinner, and theme-specific art installations, custom-made plates, lighting, and props are incorporated to immerse guests in the featured theme. For example, lights change to sync with the color of each course, and interactive tablescapes invite guests to forage for delectable treasures.

Esmé

Art and food intertwine at Esmé, a husband-and-wife-owned restaurant that doubles as a platform for local artists to showcase their work. Each menu is a distinct collaboration with a unique artist or creative, extending to the plateware, décor, and uniforms. Guests begin with canapés in an art gallery, and servers share details about the featured artists with each course. All the artwork on display is for sale, and by the end of a menu rotation, most of it has sold.

SSAL

Junsoo Bae grew up in South Korea and knew he wanted to be a chef from a young age. After training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, Bae worked at Gramercy Tavern and The Restaurant at Meadowood before opening his own restaurant in San Francisco. At SSAL, he crafts modern California tasting menus inspired by Korean ingredients, flavors, and techniques. The dining room is rooted in Korean aesthetics, showcasing various artisans through paintings, ceramics, table vases, brassware, and custom woodwork. All of these artisans are thoughtfully credited on the SSAL <a href="https://ssalsf.com/artisan">website</a> with shaping every detail with care and dedication.
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UKA draws inspiration from Ukanomitama-no-Kami, the ancient Japanese deity of grain and fertility who represents nourishment and abundance. The restaurant’s serene, minimalist design offers a moment of Zen in the heart of Hollywood, while Chef Yoshitaka Mitsue approaches each dish on his kaiseki menu as a work of art—guided by seasonality, harmony, and emotion. Dishes are served on specific Shigaraki ware or Echizen lacquerware that evokes the kaiseki tradition through its careful attention to detail, material, and pottery style. These pieces are thoughtfully sourced from Japan, underscoring Mitsue’s role as a true culinary ambassador.

Atera

A chef&#8217;s counter in a dark and moody dining room sets the stage for a culinary performance by Danish chef Ronny Emborg, who has been leading the kitchen at Atera for a decade. Emborg honors the poetry of nature with a continuously evolving tasting menu, constantly tweaking dishes rather than sticking to a list of greatest hits. Dining here feels like watching a plein air artist at work. This is the rare New York tasting menu establishment open every day of the week, including lunch on Saturday.

Oriole

The food is both visually-stunning and thought-provoking at Oriole, the former warehouse-turned fine-dining restaurant in Chicago&#8217;s West Loop neighborhood. Enter through a freight elevator into a minimalist dining room featuring a state-of-the-art open kitchen, of which the ceiling is plastered in vintage concert posters. Chef Noah Sandoval, a former punk rocker, brings artistic sensibilities to his cooking and plating, creating unique flavor combinations and never bending to industry trends.

Sons & Daughters

Zero-waste New Nordic minimalism with a California twist is the vibe at this cozy San Francisco restaurant. Originally from London, Chef Harrison Cheney credits his mother, an established ceramicist, for nurturing his creativity and artistic eye. At Sons &amp; Daughters, he showcases local producers and classical techniques from an open kitchen, creating dishes that balance negative space, visual contrast, and, at times, delicate touches like edible flowers—all arranged in striking, artful compositions. According to Cheney, &#8220;Everything from the aprons that we wear to the plates and woodwork we use comes from local ceramicists and artists.&#8221; Fittingly, the opening snacks are served on custom ceramics handmade by his mother.

Hayato

An intimate, seven-seat kaiseki counter in the Arts District of DTLA, Hayato fuses fundamental Japanese technique, seasonal ingredients, and carefully curated ceramics. Through the restaurant, Chef Brandon Hayato Go seeks to showcase the work of master craftspeople from many fields: potters, fishmongers, carpenters, kimono makers, tea masters, sake brewers, and countless others. The result is a highly-curated and personal experience that celebrates Japanese artistry across mediums.

Bodai

Chinese imperial dining with a vegetarian twist, Bodai is a tiny, plant-based temple nestled within the chef’s eponymous tasting menu restaurant. The name Bodai is derived from Sanskrit, signifying enlightenment and wisdom. Chef Guo Wenjun blends ancient Chinese traditions with natural ingredients to present modern cuisine that incorporates vivid hues and artistic sensibility. Vessels are chosen with harmony in mind. Even the sound of a dish is taken into consideration, as a way to narrate the stories behind each dish.

These are the restaurants plating up more than sustenance. Where food is art, but art extends beyond food. From handmade ceramics to interactive galleries, contemporary dining is about curating an immersive experience.

Aquavit

Aquavit introduced modern Scandinavian fine dining to New York in 1987, inspired by Stockholm&#8217;s Operakällaren. Owner Håkan Swahn created two distinct experiences: a casual rustic café and an upscale innovative tasting menu restaurant. Both reflected minimalist Nordic essence matched by beautiful, uncomplicated cuisine celebrating the region&#8217;s foraging culture, quickly becoming America&#8217;s premier showcase for Nordic cuisine.

Origin

Atelier Crenn

Raised in France between Versailles and Brittany, Chef Dominique Crenn brought her rustic seaside sensibility to San Francisco after working in fine dining at Stars and Luce. She opened Atelier Crenn as a poetic atelier (studio) of French cuisine. It’s a tactile canvas for food storytelling focused on ocean bounty and seasonal produce. The minimalist design mingles abstract art with personal photographs, while soft lighting focuses attention on the culinary journey.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Co-founded by Dan Barber, his wife Laureen, and brother David at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture an hour north of Manhattan, Blue Hill created a revolutionary dining model: guests seated within a working farm, eating produce they can literally walk to. This blurred lines between kitchen and field, weaving sustainable farming and cooking together unlike ever before.

Canlis

California native Peter Canlis moved to post-WWII Hawaii in the 1940s, opening his first restaurant on Waikiki Beach where he bucked tradition by hiring women as floor captains. He brought that progressive vision to Seattle, determined to create &#8220;the most beautiful restaurant in the world.&#8221; When he chose Queen Anne Hill overlooking Seattle and Lake Union, the location was considered &#8220;way out of town.&#8221; But Canlis had a mantra: &#8220;If it&#8217;s within a dollar&#8217;s cab ride of downtown, they&#8217;ll come.&#8221; Come they did, from politicians and celebrities to business leaders and Seattle’s elite. With its mid-century modern design featuring cedar beams, granite columns, and tropical prints, plus kimono-clad Japanese servers, Canlis quickly became Seattle&#8217;s hottest destination. The restaurant pioneered Pacific Northwest cuisine while sourcing local seafood, produce, and more, and introducing the now-iconic Canlis salad (a Mediterranean riff on a Caesar).

Charles Krug Winery

In 1861, Charles Krug founded Napa Valley&#8217;s first commercial winery, launching an era that transformed Napa into a viticultural powerhouse. His success came from selecting specific grape varieties for specific areas. In 1943, Cesare and Rosa Mondavi acquired the estate at their sons Robert and Peter&#8217;s urging, beginning four family generations of innovation and hospitality.

Commander's Palace

Few places serve up Southern hospitality like Commander’s Palace. Opened in 1893 in a sprawling (and allegedly haunted) Garden District mansion, Commander&#8217;s Palace quickly became a destination for sophisticated Creole dining. Originally Emile Commander&#8217;s Palace Saloon, it attracted discerning diners from around the world with its haute Creole cuisine.

The French Laundry

This celebrated two-story stone restaurant once housed an actual 1920s French steam laundry (and saloon before that). Originally opened by Sally Schmitt, a young Thomas Keller pooled investments from 60 backers to purchase the Napa property, transforming it into one of the world&#8217;s most innovative fine-dining destinations. He melded California cuisine with timeless French technique, adding a modern glass-and-wood kitchen and an idyllic garden across the street.

Heitz Cellar

Founded by Joe and Alice Heitz in 1961 when post-Prohibition Napa Valley had only two dozen wineries, Heitz Cellar revolutionized the region by creating America&#8217;s first single-vineyard cabernet: 1966&#8217;s Martha&#8217;s Vineyard from the Oakville AVA. This landmark wine introduced vineyard designation in the U.S. and helped define Napa&#8217;s modern identity through high-quality, age-worthy wines using French oak.

The Inn at Little Washington

Transforming a rundown gas station 67 miles outside of Washington, DC, Chef Patrick O&#8217;Connell opened his restaurant in 1978 in “Little” Washington, Virginia (population 133) without formal culinary training. Taking inspiration from Julia Child and forging relationships with area farmers, he created a world-renowned dining destination known for whimsical presentations, luxury accommodations, and graceful ballet-like service.

Topolobampo

When fine dining in Chicago meant French cuisine, Oklahoma City-raised Rick Bayless helped change the landscape. Following success with the approachable Frontera Grill, Bayless and wife Deann opened Topolobampo, introducing the Midwest to inventive regional Mexican tasting menus that transcended Tex-Mex stereotypes and sugary margaritas.

These are the culinary giants that have forged new ground to build something remarkable. The ones that inspire future generations by passing down wisdom and work ethic.
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Get to know the restaurants and wineries creating enduring legacies, that for many, will last lifetimes.

Meju

Across the East River from Manhattan, Long Island City is known for its affinity for culture and diverse population, including a significant number of Asian residents and businesses. It’s fitting then, after making history at Danji—the first Korean restaurant awarded a MICHELIN star—Chef Hooni Kim chose this Queens neighborhood for Meju, his intimate eight-seat counter restaurant. Named for the dried soybeans used in the fermentation of jangs (traditional Korean seasoning pastes), Meju begins every dish with this integral ingredient.

Valle

The in-crowd already knows Mexico’s vibrant Valle de Guadalupe is having a major moment. Ninety miles south of San Diego, the destination is sought after for its picturesque vineyards and artistic atmosphere, where freedom of expression is highly encouraged. But thanks to Chef Roberto Alcocer’s ash-cooking techniques at his MICHELIN-starred Valle, diners can experience the valley’s flavors without crossing the border. The tasting menus are casually elegant—a tribute to both California&#8217;s bounty and the dynamic vino paired with it.

Mosquito Supper Club

What started over a decade ago as a family-style supper club celebrating Cajun fare has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, complete with a James Beard Award®, two cookbooks, and countless crawfish. With an emphasis on sustainability, Chef/Owner Melissa Martin procures the best possible ingredients from Louisiana fishermen, crabbers, shrimpers, and farmers.

Beckon

The moon controls ocean tides and stabilizes the Earth’s axis. At Beckon, the satellite gets its due. Executive Chef Duncan Holmes presents one prix-fixe experience nightly, where earthy vegetables shine brightly in 11 dynamic courses paced across two-and-a-half hours. With thematic menus inspired by moon cycles, like summer’s Strawberry Moon or fall’s Harvest Moon, the dishes ebb and flow with the lunar calendar.

The Wild

A crackling, live fire hearth anchors the open kitchen at The Wild, led by Chef/Owner Marc Zimmerman and Chef de Cuisine Peggy Tan. Rooted in Northern California’s ever-changing ecosystem, every dinner service offers an à la carte or chef’s choice, five-course menu designed to showcase the region’s rich bounty. Guests cozy into the dining room, then travel along the Pacific coastline, from the tide pools to the rugged mountains to the alpine meadows.

Myriel

Being a chef is just one of Karyn Tomlinson’s many talents. She is also a collector of vintage china and a watercolor artist, painting lush landscapes. When she isn’t wielding a knife or a brush, she forages for ramps, wild ginger, and fiddleheads. She even worked stints in pastry abroad in Sweden before opening Myriel in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood, where she combines all of her artful endeavors under one roof.

January

Rolling hills, sprawling across 300 idyllic acres in Middle Tennessee, set the stage for January, part of Southall Farm and Inn. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the land that sustainably grows much of the restaurant’s food from seeds. Led by Chefs Andrew Klamar and Nate Leonard, the mindful menu changes daily based on availability.

Idlewild Wines

Housed in a historic former winery in downtown Healdsburg, Idlewild Wines&#8217; tasting room is a favorite among locals and visitors alike. Through guided tastings, guests learn about holistic farming, minimalist winemaking techniques, and Italy’s Piedmont grape varieties that thrive in the elevation of California’s Russian River Valley and Mendocino County. Each wine is unique, Idlewild promises, and therefore treated as such.

MÄS

Just above the California border, this South Oregon restaurant by Chef Josh Dorack celebrates Cascadian cuisine. After growing from a pop-up into a James Beard Award® finalist three years running, his efforts to elevate the region’s natural beauty—foraged sea lettuces, Pacific Rogue Wagyu, Myrtle Creek lamb, and fresh radishes from his garden—have not gone unnoticed. With a menu that changes constantly, diners flock to Ashland for seats at the chef’s counter. According to Eater, MÄS is “without a doubt, one of the finest restaurants in the state,” making it well worth the trip.

Beast & Cleaver

As the name suggests, Beast &amp; Cleaver is an artisanal butcher shop by day, where whole animals from local, organic farms are broken down into prime cuts of meat. By night, however, the shop switches gears into The Peasant, where Chef/Owner Kevin Smith serves five set courses at communal tables. On weekends, he offers an à la carte steakhouse experience, dubbed “The Beastro,” with steaks cooked to order, plus housemade charcuterie, salads, small plates, desserts, and beer or wine by the glass or bottle.

While primitive cooking once satisfied our need to survive, modern dining has come a long way from humanity’s early hunter-gatherer roots—or has it?
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From lunar cycles to crackling fires, these are the chefs and winemakers that heed the call of the wild.

Cariño

A modern Mexican restaurant with an in-house masa program, Cariño is inspired by Chef Norman Fenton’s time road-tripping across Mexico, from Oaxaca to Michoacán, and cooking in Tulum, along with his fine dining training at Chicago&#8217;s Schwa and The Aviary. The dining room seats 20 guests, but the 7-seat chef&#8217;s counter contains the best seats in the house. It&#8217;s here that diners receive a couple extra courses, with surprise supplements like fresh shaved truffles, all while watching each plate come to life.

The Counter at Odell's

Boundaries between the kitchen and dining room dissolve when you are face-to-face with the chefs plating your food. These restaurants offer a glimpse of the technique and creativity behind each dish, where the chef becomes an entertainer and the kitchen becomes their stage.

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