Restaurants

America's Best New Restaurants 2015

The Hot 10 returns.
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Brackett's genius method for pork tonkatsu encases several thin slices of pork in an especially crunchy coating.Aya Brackett

For his annual Hot 10 list, Andrew Knowlton dined at hundreds of restaurants, traveled thousands of miles, and devoured something like a million calories—all in search of the country’s best new places to eat. Here are the breakout spots you should be planning your next trip around.

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    Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    1/22

    1. AL's Place, San Francisco

    To fully appreciate our restaurant of the year, step inside the obsessive, fanatical, and wildly creative world of Chef Aaron London. Trust us, it's worth the trip.

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    Peden + Munk
    2/22

    2. Gjusta, Los Angeles

    It's a juice bar-bakery-deli-pizzeria-coffee shop-smokehouse—you get the idea. Is there anything this ambitious, do-everything spot doesn't do well?

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    Eva Kolenko
    3/22

    3. Petit Trois, Los Angeles

    What happens when you apply four-star precision to the most classic and comforting cuisine on the planet? Behold, Ludo Lefebvre's ode to the bistro.

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    Marcus Nilsson
    4/22

    4. Semilla, Brooklyn

    At this intimate tasting counter, every inspired dish comes with a backstory—and every vegetable gets a chance to be front and center.

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    Matt Haas
    5/22

    5. Parachute, Chicago

    At this Korean mom-and-pop shop gone delectably rogue, the only traditional thing about the bibimbap is the bowl its served in.

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    Christopher Testani
    6/22

    6. Dai Due, Austin

    Chef Jesse Griffiths is also a butcher but unlike most of his pork-obsessed brethren, his favorite meat to work with is also America's favorite to eat: chicken.

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    Elizabeth Cecil
    7/22

    7. Kindred, Davison, NC

    Here's the pitch: Young couple move back to husband's tiny hometown to open a restaurant. Turns out they're not just running a business—they're building a community.

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    Aya Brackett
    8/22

    8. Rintaro, San Francisco

    East (Japan) meets West (California) at this izakaya, where it's all about the details, from the rice (made every 45 minutes) to the hand-hewn cedar bar.

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    Kyle Johnson
    9/22

    9. Manolin, Seattle

    The star of the menu at this dream seafood spot isn't the daily catch, it's the seasonal mole—a mysterious sauce with more ingredients than we can remember.

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    Peter Frank Edwards
    10/22

    10. Milktooth, Indianapolis

    A daytime-only shrine to putting an egg on it proves that brunch can—no, should—be the most interesting, inspiring, and ridiculously delicious meal of the day.

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