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James Beard Awards 2012: Inside Michael Murphy’s Annual Rosé Bowl

Sunday, May 6th, 2012

We’re eagerly anticipating the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards on Monday, May 7, 2012. To get the party started, Michael Murphy did just that. Once again, OpenTable had the great pleasure of sponsoring Mr. Murphy’s Annual Rosé Bowl at Jonathan Waxman’s Barbuto restaurant in Manhattan. A fete for San Francisco’s nominees, attendees included many bold-faced Bay Area names, including Thomas Keller (The French Laundry), Anna Weinberg (Marlowe), Emily Luchetti (Farallon), Jeremiah Tower (Chez Panisse), Gary Danko, as well as Dana Cowin and a surprise visit from Katie Couric, along with many, many more of our favorite folks in food. You can see our exclusive slide show below!

Tags: Barbuto, James Beard Awards, Jonathan Waxman, Michael Bauer, Michael Murphy, Rose Bowl, San Francisco, Thomas Keller
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2012 San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants on OpenTable

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

Congratulations to Chef de Cuisine Jean Paul Carmona of Manresa, pictured here with Katrina Parlato of Quince, on this honor!

San Pelligrino has announced its picks for the world’s 50 best restaurants in 2012. Restaurants on OpenTable with a presence on this global list include Per Se, Dinner By Heston Blumenthal, Eleven Madison Park, The Fat Duck, Le Bernardin, Daniel, The French Laundry, and Manresa.

Rounding out the top 100 are Coi, Jean-Georges, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Viajante, Hibiscus, and Chez Panisse.

Have you been to any — or all — of these honorees? Tell us here or over on Facebook.

Tags: Coi, Eleven Madison Park, Manresa, Per Se, San Pellegrino, World's 50 Best
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100 Best Restaurants for Brunch: 2012 Diners’ Choice Award Winners!

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

This delish egg dish has me counting the days 'til the weekend!

Just in time for Mother’s Day, we are thrilled to announce the 2012 Diners’ Choice Award winners for the Best 100 Restaurants for Brunch in the United States. These awards reflect the combined opinions of nearly 5 million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The list of winners includes Five Points in New York, Proud Bird in Los Angeles, and Town’s End in San Francisco.

Winning restaurants hail from 23 states and Washington, D.C. Restaurants in the Northeast and Pacific regions each account for 27 places on the list, including 24 in California and 23 in New York. The Southeast boasts 12 wins, with restaurants in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina earning nods. The Mid-Atlantic region claims 18 spots, with seven wins in Washington, D.C., and six in Pennsylvania. Seven Great Lakes restaurants are among the honorees, with standouts in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Minnesota. Six Southwest restaurants are winners, five of which are in Texas. The Rocky Mountain and Central Plains regions are also represented with 2 and 1 wins, respectively.

(more…)

Tags: "Between Meals", Best Brunch, Diners' Choice, Five Points, Town's End, weekends
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OpenTable Diner Reviews Reveal the Top 100 Dining Hot Spots in the U.S.

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

Top Chef winner Hung Huynh's new restaurant Catch is catching on with Manhattan's Meatpacking District diners!

We are pleased to announce the 2012 Diners’ Choice Award winners for Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the United States. These awards reflect the combined opinions of nearly 5 million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The winning restaurants, which include Catch in New York City, ink. in Los Angeles, and Tavernita in Chicago, are scattered throughout 18 states and Washington, D.C. California is king of the hot spot restaurants, taking 25 places on the list of winners. New York comes in second, with 20 winning restaurants. The sunny state of Florida is chock full of trendy restaurants, handily placing third with 15 winners. Illinois accounts for 11 honorees, followed by Nevada with seven standouts and Texas with six. Georgia restaurants earned three places while Tennessee boasts two. Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington D.C. are also represented.

The Diners’ Choice Awards for the top 100 hot spot restaurants is generated from nearly 5 million reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between March 1, 2011 and February 29, 2012. All restaurants with a minimum number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the percentage of qualifying reviews for which “hot spot” was selected as a special feature.

Did your favorite hot spot make the list? Weigh in here or over on Facebook!

Tags: Catch, Hot Spot, Hung Huynh, ink., new restaurants, Tavernita
Posted in Awards, Diners' Choice | No Comments »

2012 James Beard Foundation Award Restaurant + Chef Nominees Announced

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

Congratulations to Chef Mike Anthony of Gramercy Tavern on his James Beard Award nomination!

After nearly a month of hand-wringing, the folks at the James Beard Foundation have released their list of nominees for the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards, otherwise known as the “Oscars” of the food world. Best wishes to all the nominees who work so hard to wow both diners and their peers every day of the year. Winners will be announced on May 7, 2012. Use the links below to determine your own set of winners. And, remember, you — Yes, you! — can dine at the James Beard House. Learn more, here!

Outstanding Restaurant
Blue Hill, New York, New York
Boulevard, San Francisco, California
Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, Alabama
Vetri, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Best New Restaurant
Fiola, Washington, D.C.

Best Chefs: Great Lakes
Stephanie Izard, Girl & the Goat, Chicago, Illinois
Bruce Sherman, North Pond, Chicago, Illinois
Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia, Chicago, Illinois

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, Virginia
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C.

Best Chef: Midwest
Gerard Craft, Niche, St. Louis, Missouri
Colby Garrelts, Bluestem, Kansas City, Missouri
Tory Miller, L’Etoile, Madison, Wisconsin
Lenny Russo, Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market, St. Paul, Minnesota

(more…)

Tags: best chefs, Best restaurants, Best Service, James Beard Foundation Awards
Posted in Awards | 3 Comments »

Food & Wine 2012 People’s Best New Chef Nominees: Vote thru March 11!

Monday, March 5th, 2012

Food & Wine magazine is letting the people speak! They’ve released the list of nominees for the People’s Best New Chef — and you can help decide who wins! Browse the round-up of Food & Wine 2012 People’s Best New Chef nominees on OpenTable and vote for your faves over at Food & Wine.

Red Medicine Beef tartare Food & Wine 2012 Peoples Best New Chef Nominees: Vote thru March 11!

The beef tartare at Chef Jordan Kahn's Red Medicine in Beverly Hills is a favorite dish of late-night diners.

CALIFORNIA:
Sean Baker, Gather, Berkeley
Perry Hoffman, étoile at Domaine Chandon, Yountville
Jordan Kahn, Red Medicine, Beverly Hills
Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco
Thomas McNaughton, Flour + Water, San Francisco
Teague Moriarty and Matt McNamara, Sons & Daughters, San Francisco
Bryant Ng, The Spice Table, Los Angeles

GREAT LAKES:
Danny Grant, RIA, Chicago, Illinois
Anthony Martin, TRU, Chicago, Illinois
Chris Pandel, The Bristol, Chicago, Illinois
Jason Vincent, Nightwood, Chicago, Illinois

GULF COAST:
Kevin Cory, NAOE, Miami, Florida
Alex Harrell, Sylvain, New Orleans, Louisiana
Jeff McInnis, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, Miami, Florida
James Petrakis, The Ravenous Pig: An American Gastropub, Winter Park, Florida
Alon Shaya, Domenica, New Orleans, Louisiana
Simon Stojanovic, AltaMare, Miami Beach, Florida

MID-ATLANTIC:
Pierre Calmels, Bibou, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Christopher Edwards, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, Lovettsville, Virginia
Karen Nicolas, Equinox, Washington, D.C.
Brad Spence, Amis, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nicholas Stefanelli, Bibiana, Washington, D.C.
Lee Styer, Fond, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (more…)

Tags: Best New Chef Nominees, Food and Wine, vote
Posted in Awards, Chefs | No Comments »

100 Restaurants with the Best Service in the U.S.: 2012 Diners’ Choice Awards

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

Downton Abbey's footmen wore gloves, but we don't know of many contemporary wait professionals who do.

In recognition of how vital service is to the dining experience, we are pleased to announce the 2012 Diners’ Choice Award winners for the 100 restaurants in the United States providing the best service. These awards reflect the combined opinions of nearly 5 million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Regionally, the honorees span 29 states and Washington, D.C. The South reinforces the notion of southern hospitality, with 22 restaurants in the region being singled out for best service. The Northeast boasts 15 winning restaurants, including 10 in New York alone. The Pacific region accounts for 14 winners, 10 of which are in California, as does the Mid-Atlantic, with six restaurants in Virginia claiming spots. Eleven winners come from the Great Lakes Region, four of which are in the Twin Cities area. The Pacific Northwest and the Southwest follow with seven honorees apiece. The Rocky Mountain States count five winners, while the Central Plains has four, three of which are in Missouri. One restaurant in Hawaii also earned a nod.

Superior service can be found across a number of cuisines. Restaurants serving American food, however, account for 40 winners. French restaurants earned 25 places on the list. Steakhouses followed with 17 spots. Seven Italian restaurants are among the winners. Other cuisines include continental, global international, Japanese, seafood, and sushi.

The Diners’ Choice Awards for the top 100 restaurants providing the best service, which include Bluestem in Kansas City, Daniel in New York, and Uchiko in Austin, are generated from nearly 5 million reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between February 2011 and January 2012. All restaurants with a minimum number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the highest average rating in the service category.

Is your favorite restaurant among the winners? Weigh in here or over on Facebook.

Tags: Best Service, Bluestem, Daniel, Diners' Choice, Downton Abbey, top 100, Uchiko
Posted in Awards, Diners' Choice | 1 Comment »

2012 James Beard Foundation Awards Restaurant + Chef Semi-Finalists

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

Chef Aaron London of Ubuntu (l.) is a James Beard Award semi-finalist. He is pictured here with Mourad Lahlou of Aziza, which has been recognized for its pastry program..

The folks at the James Beard Foundation have released their list of semi-finalists for nominations in the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards, otherwise known as the “Oscars” of the food world. Congratulations — and good luck — to all the semi-finalists. Use the links below to reserve at the nominated restaurants to select your own set of nominees. And, remember, you — Yes, you! — can dine at the James Beard House. Learn more, here!

Outstanding Restaurant
August, New Orleans, Louisiana
Blue Hill, New York, New York
Boulevard, San Francisco, California
Canlis, Seattle, Washington
Charleston, Baltimore, Maryland
Fore Street, Portland, Maine
Foreign Cinema, San Francisco, California
Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, Alabama
The Kitchen Restaurant, Sacramento, California
Marcel’s, Washington, D.C.
Oleana, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Patina, Los Angeles, California
Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada
Restaurant Alma, Minneapolis, Minnesota
TRU, Chicago, Illinois
Vetri, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Best New Restaurant
1833, Monterey, California
Altura, Seattle, Washington
The Bachelor Farmer, Minneapolis, Minnesota
bistronomic, Chicago, Illinois
The Dorrance, Providence, Rhode Island
The Farm and Fisherman, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Fiola, Washington, D.C.
Harvest, Louisville, Kentucky
The Macintosh, Charleston, South Carolina
Manhattan Beach Post, Manhattan Beach, California
Park Tavern, San Francisco, California
Picca, Los Angeles, California
Salt, St. Louis, Missouri
ShinBay, Scottsdale, Arizona
Tashan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, Miami Beach, Florida

Best Chefs: Great Lakes
(more…)

Tags: Aaron London, James Beard Foundation, Ubuntu
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2012 Chicago Michelin Guide: Windy City Restaurants Seeing Stars!

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Congratulations to all the honorees in the 2012 Michelin Guide Chicago!

OpenTable is pleased to offer our sincere congratulations to the 2012 Chicago Michelin star recipients! This year, 21 restaurants received well-deserved stars.

A single star from Michelin is impressive and indicates that a restaurant is very good, while three stars means that a restaurant is a destination in and of itself, worthy of a special culinary expedition.

Earning a stand-alone three-star rating is Grant Achatz’s Alinea. Charlie Trotter’s and Ria were awarded two stars apiece. New single-star honorees include Courtright’s and Moto. They join previous star recipients Blackbird, Boka, Bonsoirée, Everest, Graham Elliot, L20, NAHA, Seasons Restaurant, Sepia, Spiaggia, Takashi, Topolobampo, TRU, and Vie, among others.

For a look at the behind-the-scenes machinations of inspectors and why some restaurants have slipped in the ratings, check out coverage on the Chicago Tribune and Eater Chicago.

How many Michelin-starred restaurants have you dined at in the Windy City? Tell us in the comments!

Tags: 2012, Alinea, Chicago, Michelin, Moto
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Top 100 American Fare Restaurants Revealed: 2011 Diners’ Choice Award Winners

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

Chef Thomas Keller, seen here with Chef Jonathan Waxman, won two awards for The French Laundry and Per Se.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, a favorite national holiday of America’s foodies, we are pleased to announce the 2011 Diners’ Choice Awards for the Top 100 restaurants in the United States that specialize in American food. The list of winners is derived from more than 10 million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The honorees, which include Anita Lo’s Annisa in New York, FIG in South Carolina, and Michael Symon’s Lola in Ohio, represent 30 states — and virtually every region of the country, including Hawaii. The South swept the awards, earning 20 spots on the list, with North Carolina and South Carolina each boasting six winning restaurants. The Northeast took 16 places among the honorees, with 11 in New York alone. Ohio and Illinois, with five nods apiece, helped the Great Lakes region earn an impressive 15 wins; meanwhile, the Lone Star State took 10 spots, giving the Southwest a total of 13 awards. States also represented on the list of winners include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon and Utah, among others.

View the entire list here — and let us know if your favorites are among the winners!

Tags: Anita Lo, Best American, Michael Symon, Thomas Keller
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