Find a great place NEW & HOT CHOOSE A CITY Credit: Ed Anderson … STORY 30 Most Exciting Food Cities in America 2017 DINING DESTINATIONS OF ALL SIZES FROM COAST TO COAST December 17, 2017 · by Zagat Staff It was an incredible year for dining across the U.S. in 2017. With chefs from New York, Chicago and San Francisco moving to smaller markets like Denver, Raleigh, Seattle and Charleston (among others), culinary innovation is booming in cities big and small. But which food town had the biggest growth spurt this year? For one final look back, we've asked editors around the country to make a case for the city they believe had the biggest year in food by assessing the number of exciting new openings, award recognition and national media attention. Then we let some of the top food media brass weigh in on which locales were most exciting. Don't see your pick on the list? Let us know in the comments. Find a great place NEW & HOT CHOOSE A CITY Credit: ExploreAsheville.com No. 30: Asheville, NC The past half decade has been good for Asheville’s food and drink scene. It has more breweries per capita than any other city in the U.S. and it’s home to renowned chefs like James Beard–nominees Katie Button (Cúrate and Nightbell), John Fleer (Rhubarb) and pitmaster Elliott Moss (Buxton Hall Barbecue). That’s enough to make food lovers in other small cities envious; however, the dynamic dining destination just keeps getting better. In 2017, Button doubled the size of Cúrate and added a Vermuteria (a vermouth-focused bar). Chef Patrick O’Cain opened a second location of his hit dumpling and noodle shop, Gan Shan West. Josh Thomsen (formerly Eau Palm Beach, The Venetian Las Vegas and Hotel Bel-Air) took over Edison Craft Ales + Kitchen, bringing international flair to the Omni Grove Park Inn’s stunning terrace restaurant. Local cocktail guru Chall Gray (formerly Thirsty Monk) debuted another cocktail bar, Little Jumbo. And premium yeast supplier White Labs opened a trendy beer and fermented foods concept in October. —Sara Ventiera Find a great place NEW & HOT CHOOSE A CITY Credit: Scott Suchman No. 29: Baltimore, MD From tony cocktail lounges and white tablecloth bistros to hipster beer bars and food halls, Charm City is on the rise. Seafood has long been a staple in this town, and the tradition continues with the opening of celebrity chef Andrew Carmellini’s Rye Street Tavern, where coastal fare complements housemade spirits as well as at the Four Seasons Hotel’s upmarket Loch Bar, helmed by area restaurateur Alex Smith (Azumi, Ouzo Bay). Pioneers at the forefront of this budding culinary heyday include Baltimore's sole James Beard Award–winner Spike Gjerde (Woodberry Kitchen, Artifact, Parts & Labor, Sandlot) and Cindy Wolf (Charleston, Johnny’s, Cinghiale, Bar Vasquez), a five-time James Beard finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic and the only local to pick up this year’s nomination. Promising young guns are also coming in droves, with hit trattoria Tagliata and sister speakeasy The Elk Room, the hip Dylan’s Oyster Cellar and the highly anticipated soul food hot spot Ida B’s Table leading the charge. —Meredith Heil Find a great place NEW & HOT CHOOSE A CITY Credit: BonjwingPhoto/Bluestem KC No. 28: Kansas City, MO Kansas City has had quite the year. The oft-overlooked Missouri metropolis was home to no less than five 2017 James Beard semifinalists: The Rieger Hotel’s subterranean Manifesto for Outstanding Bar Program; fine-dining destination Bluestem, helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Colby Garrelts (and formerly by French Laundry vet Andrew Longres) for Outstanding Restaurant (as well as a Zagat 30 Under 30 National honor for bar manager Andrew Olsen); and Patrick Ryan of Port Fonda fame for Best Chef: Midwest. Noteworthy newcomers included world- class cocktail bars like the epically swank Monarch Bar and Swordfish Tom’s, a speakeasy-style Find a great place cocktail den from seasoned barkeep Jill Cockson; EJ’s Urban Eatery, a hit meat-and-three by chef John Cedric Smith, who cut his teNeEthW a&t HTOoTm ColicCcHhOioO’SsE C Ar aCfItT iYn NYC; and ex American Restaurant executive chef Michael Corvino’s highly regarded contemporary American eatery and music venue, Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room. —Meredith Heil Credit: Courtesy of Honey Paw No. 27: Portland, ME Maine’s formerly sleepy little coastal capital has blossomed into a full on dining destination over the past few years, led by an ambitious flock of artisans, brewers, bakers and chefs like 2017 James Beard Award–winners for Best Chef: Northeast, Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley. As the team behind local institutions Eventide Oyster Co., The Honey Paw and Hugo’s, the chef/co-owners were previously named Food & Wine’s best up-and-coming chefs of New England in 2013. The winning pair’s fellow 2017 James Beard nominees included Portland Hunt + Alpine Club (Outstanding Bar Program), Fore Street (Outstanding Restaurant) and Piccolo’s Ilma Lopez (Outstanding Pastry Chef), among others. Add that to the town of just over 65,000’s already acclaimed roster — not to mention a plethora of standout newcomers like James Beard Best New Restaurant nominee Drifter’s Wife and countless cutting-edge craft breweries — and it’s safe to say that Portland is officially Find a great place taking the New England culinary scene by storm. NEW & HOT CHOOSE A CITY —Meredith Heil Credit: Honeywood No. 26: Lexington, KY Louisville’s smaller, lesser-visited neighbor, is finally starting to compete in the food arena (it already puts up a strong fight for horses and bourbon). This year the city got Kentucky’s first food hall, The Barn, with an all-local, all-independent lineup including craft ice cream at Crank & Boom, pasture-raised fried chicken at Pasture by Marksbury Farm, and Japanese ramen at Atomic Ramen (from MasterChef star Dan Wu). Also in the same complex is James Beard Award semifinalist chef Ouita Michel’s latest project, Honeywood. (Michel has six other restaurants in the city and is the chef-in-residence at Woodford Reserve Distillery.) Other hot openings include the Latin-infused Corto Lima from James Beard Award–nominated chef Jonathan Lundy and the city’s very own Shake Shack. Beloved upscale mainstay Dudley’s on Short was selected for one of Southern Living’s Find a great place Best in the South awards this year and on the bourbon front, Bluegrass Tavern, Belle’s Cocktail House, The Paddock Bar and PatiNoE, WPa &r lHayO TSocial CanHdO OOSlEd AB oCuITrYbon County Kitchen were all named on Bourbon Review’s list of the top 99 bourbon bars in the country. After all, bourbon is still king here. —Devorah Lev-Tov Credit: Sub Rosa Bakery/Facebook No 25: Richmond, VA This quirky and charming Southern city might only recently be gaining the attention it deserves for its outstanding dining scene, but Richmond’s universities and vibrant arts scene have been a crucible for forming incredibly talented chefs for decades. Reasons to visit include perfect rustic pastries from Sub Rosa Bakery and German-inspired fare at Metzger Bar and Butchery — both of which were James Beard Award semifinalists this year — or gorgeous plates from the Longoven pop-up dinner series, which will soon open a permanent spot in Scott’s Addition, an industrial area that begs for exploration with its bumper crop of breweries, cideries, coffee roasters and even a meadery. Richmond.com deputy editor Karri Peifer tells us that 2017 was a sleepy year for Richmond — “It was kind of our hangover year” — but says the newly opened Brenner Pass is not to be missed and to look out for next year’s openings of ZZQ, Alewife and The Jasper. If you have the chance to attend the city’s Fire, Flour & Fork festival held each fall, do so. A highlight from this year’s event was a collaboration lunch on the water at Merroir with Gabrielle Hamilton from New York’s famed Find a great place Prune. NEW & HOT CHOOSE A CITY —Rina Rapuano Credit: Ted Tucker No. 24: Birmingham, AL All eyes are on The Magic City, especially after Food & Wine relocated much of its staff to Birmingham earlier this year. It's delivering with a wave of globally focused eateries like the popular Pizitz Food Hall (pictured above) with stalls representing cuisines from Ethiopia, Asia, the Middle East and more, plus Fero, an Italian restaurant from lauded NYC chef Akhtar Nawab (Alta Calidad). Favorite local sushi chef Abhi Sainju opened his first solo concept, Abhi, and hip EastWest serves modern Asian fusion. Birmingham continues its legacy of Southern cooking and fine-dining establishments like chef Frank Stitt’s Highlands Bar and Grill (James Beard Award finalist) with top-notch farm-to-table concepts like Roots & Revelry from chef Brandon Cain (Saw’s Soul Kitchen, Post Office Pies) and Root to Tail from chef and Food Network host Ben Vaughn. On the sweets front, Big Spoon Creamery, a small-batch ice cream concept from two Bottega vets, Find a great place opened a storefront, and hit pop-up Hero Doughnuts found a permanent home in Homewood. NEW & HOT CHOOSE A CITY —Abigail Abesamis Credit: Darlene Horn No. 23: San Diego, CA From national chains like Shake Shack expanding into the county to local spots like Breakfast Republic tightening their grip over the brunch crowd, the San Diego dining scene saw a little bit of everything this year. In 2017, award-winning chef Rick Bayless made his mark on the city, helping direct the menu in La Jolla's Red O (other locations include Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Newport Beach).