LA Eatery Among Nation's 47 Best Restaurants: USA Today Ranking

LOS ANGELES, CA — USA Today inaugurated a brand-new feature Thursday, a Restaurant of the Year list that highlights 47 outstanding eateries from coast to coast — including one in Los Angeles.

"The Restaurants of 2024 include buzzy Instagram-worthy spots backed by award-winning chefs, tried-and-true small-town standbys, and pantheons of fine dining worthy of foodies pilgrimages," USA Today wrote.

The Golden State was well-represented on the list, which includes spots in LA, the Coachella Valley and San Francisco.

In South Central Los Angeles, USA Today highlighted Holbox, a counter-serve restaurant that serves California seafood inspired by chef-owner Gilberto Cetina’s native Yucatan Peninsula.

Cetina, a 2023 James Beard finalist, has crafted a menu that includes ceviche Mixto with Yucatan octopus, wild Mexican shrimp and Baja striped bass; house-smoked kanpachi tacos with queso Chihuahua, salsa cruda, avocado and peanut chili oil; and Camarones al Mojo de Ajo with roasted local shrimp, garlic butter, cilantro rice, black beans and grilled bread, USA Today wrote.

Palm Desert's Alps Village was the other SoCal restaurant that earned a nod from USA Today.

"Not only does the interior evoke old European charm with its wooden tables and barrel-like chairs, but chef Milka Damjanovic worked in German kitchens in the former Yugoslavia during the war in the 1990s. After the family immigrated to the United States, her daughter Blanka Sanin opened the restaurant in 2016, and it has become a staple in the Coachella Valley," USA Today wrote.

The menu includes German favorites, like Wiener schnitzel and spätzle, and Balkan staples like cevapcici (sausages), shopska salad and cabbage rolls.

San Francisco's Atelier Crenn earned a glowing review of both the restaurant and its celebrated chef: "At Atelier Crenn, chef and owner Dominique Crenn unites her French heritage with California’s natural bounty to create an unforgettable 14-course pescatarian tasting menu. As the first female chef in the United States to earn three Michelin stars, Crenn is dedicated to providing guests with a unique experience while taking care of the planet. Atellier Crenn is a meat- and dairy-free restaurant with produce supplied by Crenn’s Bleu Belle Farm in Sonoma."

The article also praised the restaurant's 2023 makeover, "resulting in a modern dining room with warm wood accents and elements that evoke California’s natural beauty."

See all 47 restaurants in the USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year article.

Read more:

• 3 Los Angeles Restaurants Make New York Times 'Restaurant List'
• CA Has 5 Of The Best Restaurants In The Country: Ranking
• 13 CA Restaurants Among Best New Eateries In America: New List