LA Restaurant Is No. 1 In The Country, Food & Wine Says

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles Thai eatery is the very best restaurant in the country, Food & Wine announced this week in a top-20 ranking that also includes three other California restaurants.

The publication said the list recognizes not only flavorful cuisine but also ambiance, hospitality and overall presentation. The list, picked by a panel of food and travel journalists, technically includes 21 restaurants with a bonus “Plus One” pick.

From a farm-to-table experience in coastal Maine, to a former Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year in Nashville, to a Michelin-starred Indian dining destination in the nation’s capital, the list celebrates the best of the country's culinary offerings, Food & Wine said.

Food & Wine's No. 1 ranked restaurant is Anajak Thai is Sherman Oaks, a four-decade-old, family-run hotspot that's no stranger to accolades.

Chef Justin Pichetrungsi was named Food & Wine's Best New Chef in 2022 and won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in California last year. That's thanks to his unique takes on classics — "for favorites like pad Thai and papaya salad, prepare to enjoy the best version of them you may have ever taste," the magazine wrote — along with Thai Taco Tuesday and outdoor omakase dinners.

The Infatuation called Anajak "our absolute favorite restaurant in all of Los Angeles," and it was named the Los Angeles Times' 2022 Restaurant of the Year.

LA is also home to Food & Wine's No. 6 pick: celebrity chef Enrique Olvera’s downtown spot Damian.

"The kitchen’s Mexican seafood identity is layered on with influences from Asia and farmer-fresh produce from California. Start with the bright raw bar before moving onto a light tostada topped with uni from Santa Barbara and the juicy swordfish poc chuc," Food & Wine wrote.

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Here’s the full list:

1. Anajak Thai, Los Angeles
2. Aragosta, Deer Isle, Maine
3. Semma, New York City
4. Birdie’s, Austin, Texas
5. Kasama, Chicago
6. Damian, Los Angeles
7. Chubby Fish, Charleston, South Carolina
8. Daru, Washington, D.C.
9. Bell’s, Los Alamos, California
10. Kann, Portland, Oregon
11. Locust, Nashville
12. Naro, New York City
13. Leah and Louise, Charlotte, North Carolina
14. March, Houston, Texas
15. Maty’s, Miami
16. Kin, Boise, Idaho
17. Nixta Taqueria, Austin, Texas
18. Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco
19. Tatiana, New York City
20. Mosquito Supper Club, New Orleans
21. Yellow, Washington, D.C. (Plus One)