There Will Be Food: Our Party for the 10 Best New Restaurants in America
The Bon Appétit 10 Best New Restaurants in America is a list that's a year in the making. For months, we dine at the country's newest noteworthy restaurants, whittling down the players to 50 finalists and, ultimately, a list of 10 innovative and creative eateries that have truly earned their place on the #BAhot10.
But equally exciting as the list's reveal is the annual party we throw to celebrate the hard work and innovation of the chefs and restaurateurs. Held amid the cobbled streets of downtown Manhattan's South Street Seaport, this year's Hot 10 party delivered in a big way. We invited all of the Hot 10 chefs (provided they promised to cook one or two of their signature dishes, of course), stocked up on beer, wine, and cocktails (Gibsons, anyone?), and set up our speakers for some great tunes. And then…it rained. It poured.
Luckily, a little water never stopped the BA crew from having a good time. Tents went up, umbrellas came out, and we all got down to the business at hand: eating and drinking treats from some of the best chefs in the biz. Click through for the highlights.
Elizabeth Lippman1/18The gang's all here! The winning chefs took a break from cooking and serving to pose for a quick picture with BA editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport and publisher Pamela Drucker Mann.
Elizabeth Lippman2/18Oh, yes, you want this: cheesy, bacony, potato-y Bing Bread from Chicago's Parachute.
Elizabeth Lippman3/18Who's that guy? Why, it's none other than Aaron London, chef and owner of AL's Place in San Francisco—our pick for America's Best New Restaurant.
Elizabeth Lippman4/18Since it's fashion week here in NYC, we can't forget about the clothes! The chefs and servers wore custom-designed jackets and aprons from Tilit Chef Goods.
Elizabeth Lippman5/18…And where there's AL's Place, there are pickled French fries. That's right: pickled French fries.
Elizabeth Lippman6/18We love a good husband-and-wife duo, and that goes double for Joe and Katy Kindred, of Davidson, NC's Kindred (our no. 7 restaurant).
Elizabeth Lippman7/18Is that…? Could it be…? Indeed; it's (a very small rendition of) the East Nasty from Biscuit Love, also known as the Best Sandwich In America.
Elizabeth Lippman8/18It's Adam Rapoport, our fearless leader.
photo by Elizabeth Lippman11/18Kindred served miniature versions of their shrimp roll, and if this sounds seriously awesome to you, you'll be happy to know that we're featuring the recipe on our website.
Elizabeth Lippman12/18Now that's a plate of ceviche. Props to Seattle's Manolin, our no. 9 restaurant, for crafting such a stunner of a dish—and for a crowd, no less!
Elizabeth Lippman13/18Milktooth's Jonathan Brooks was all smiles as he served up Tulip Tree Foxglove (a dangerously tasty double cream, washed rind cheese) with pickled charred radishes, serrano chiles, and biscuit crumbles. Indianapolis' Milktooth is our no. 10 Best New Restaurant.
Elizabeth Lippman14/18Dai Due's Jesse Griffiths loves working with chicken, so we were all surprised when he served up grilled quail legs. Pleasantly surprised—these babies were tender, juicy, and quite possibly the perfect hand-held party appetizer. Dai Due hails from Austin, and is our no. 6 restaurant.
Elizabeth Lippman15/18Gjusta served up house-smoked fish on sourdough bread, proving that a stand-out dish doesn't have to be overly complicated.
Elizabeth Lippman16/18BA's Andrew Knowlton chats it up with Aaron London of AL's Place.
Elizabeth Lippman17/18No one was surprised that the burgundy escargot with garlic and parsley butter from L.A.'s Petit Trois (our no. 3 restaurant) was out-of-this-world delicious. If you think you're not a fan of snails, this is the dish that will forever change your mind.
Elizabeth Lippman18/18Want even more photos? Scroll through #BAhot10 on Instagram to see the evening's highlights from our guests' POV.
