Skift Take
Eater's picks for top spots reflects how many, many people eat now in cities across the U.S. It's delicious democracy with incredibly high standards and a solid payoff as well.
Eater has released its annual list of America's 38 Essential Restaurants, compiled by restaurant editor Bill Addison.
It includes 18 new-to-the-list restaurants, with 20 returning from last year. And it does a great job of representing women in the industry — just under a third of listed restaurants have women at the helm — including Addison's top pick for the year: The Grey in Savannah, noting he can't think of another restaurant that has fulfilled its promise so richly. “Eating here communicates wholeness,” he says.
Eater's list feels like a solid representation of the American dining scene, with beloved regional classics (Austin's Franklin Barbec
