My job as Eater’s restaurant editor is to travel the country year-round. (Greatest gig ever.) At each destination — whether I’m reviewing a specific restaurant in Los Angeles or Indianapolis, or gorging my way through the astonishing breadth of Houston’s dining scene, or writing about the Vietnamese cultural influence on New Orleans — I’m also deliberating over which places to include on this annual list of 38 restaurants. It’s the cornerstone of my work, the culmination of my calendar.

"Best" is the most subjective word in the English language, and narrowing down this group is as grueling as it is exhilarating. Of course these places all serve wonderful food: avant-garde noodle bowls in Manhattan, soul-soothing roast chicken in San Francisco, Lebanese mezze in Michigan, the Russian layered salad known as "herring under a fur coat" in Portland, Oregon. Their culinary excellence is a given. But each of these restaurants also leads the dining conversation in their communities — and by extension, the nation. Together, they form a mosaic illustrating how we eat in this country, and how we build culture around food.

Like the city-based Eater 38 maps on which it is modeled, this roster of restaurants evolves slowly. The worst part is removing places from the list to make way for new ones (or, in the case of Houston’s Oxheart, a stalwart of previous years' lists, because of its upcoming closure to revamp). Both inclusion and exclusion ultimately always come down to the question of which restaurants feel most relevant right now — even if their relevance comes in the form of a certain timelessness. Newcomers this year include a Sichuan upstart in California’s San Gabriel Valley, a fine-dining star in Minneapolis, and a standard-bearer of Southern graciousness in Birmingham, Alabama. (To qualify for inclusion on this list, restaurants must be open for at least 18 months; the too-young serious players get their own list, our annual Best New Restaurants in America roundup).

This is the third year of this list; more than half of the restaurants recognized have been here before, and those standard bearers who’ve made it in every time — there are fourteen of them — are hereby designated Hall of Famers. Just as exciting: This year, for the first time, I’ve named a Best Restaurant in America. Dining at this luminary is such a dynamic experience that, honestly, the decision to name it as the finest among paragons wasn’t all that difficult.

Most of all, in a complicated time for our country, this body of restaurants represents a definition of the United States that I cherish: multicultural, ambitious, welcoming. These are places for us all to savor. I’ll meet you at the table.

The Best Restaurants in America

★ = an Eater Hall of Fame restaurant, on this list for three consecutive years

The 2015 list | The 2014 list

Al Ameer, Dearborn, MI | ★ Alinea, Chicago | ★ Benu, San Francisco | ★ Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY | Cosme, New York | ★ Eventide Oyster Co., Portland, ME | ★ FIG, Charleston, SC | ★Franklin Barbecue, Austin | ★ Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder | Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant, San Antonio | Herbsaint, New Orleans | Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL | Hugo’s, Houston | ★ Husk Nashville, Nashville | Kachka, Portland, OR | Liholiho Yacht Club, San Francisco | Milktooth, Indianapolis | Miller Union, Atlanta | ★ Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York | Parachute, Chicago | Petit Trois, Los Angeles | La Petite Grocery, New Orleans | Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix | Poole’s Downtown Diner, Raleigh | ★ Prince’s Hot Chicken, Nashville | The Publican, Chicago | Raku, Las Vegas | ★ Roberta’s, Brooklyn | ★ Rose’s Luxury, Washington, DC | Saison, San Francisco | Sarma, Somerville, MA | Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis | Sqirl, Los Angeles | Szechuan Impression, Alhambra, CA | The Willows Inn, Lummi Island, WA | ★ Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore | ★ Zahav, Philadelphia | Zuni Cafe, San Francisco

Restaurant of the Year

Blue Hill at Stone Barns Pocantico Hills, New York

You can start to understand chef Dan Barber's revolutionary ethos by reading his books, watching his TED Talks, or dropping by the Manhattan outpost of his Blue Hill mini-empire. But for the most thorough — and deeply pleasurable — immersion into his world, you have to make the trek 30 miles north of New York City to the Stone Barns Center. There, you'll find Barber's crown jewel: Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a restaurant tucked in the hills of a century-old working farm. Stone Barns isn't just an exquisite fine-dining restaurant serving magnificent tasting menus; it's an experiment, a laboratory, a learning center, and a model for the future of agriculture. The travel itself builds anticipation: on the train or in a car, the city falls away, mile after mile, until finally you turn down the farm’s long, winding driveway, where the surrounding lushness tunes your mind and senses for the feast ahead. Read more about Blue Hill at Stone Barns, the Best Restaurant in America →

Returning Greats

★ = an Eater Hall of Fame restaurant, on this list for three consecutive years

★ Alinea, Chicago | This year’s renovation made America’s most audacious fine-dining restaurant more interactive and more luxurious — which is to say, better than ever. 1723 N. Halstead, Chicago, IL, 312.867.0110, alinearestaurant.com

Read more about Alinea →

★ Benu, San Francisco, CA| Corey Lee’s unique, eloquent, and lavish bridging of East and West cuisines is in itself a reason to visit the Bay Area. 22 Hawthorne St, San Francisco, CA, 415.685.4860, benusf.com

Read more about Benu →

★ Eventide Oyster Co., Portland, ME | The oyster bar of everyone’s dreams also sneaks in surprises like dashi chowder and green curry lobster stew. 86 Middle St, Portland, ME, 207.774.8538, eventideoysterco.com

Read more about Eventide Oyster Co. →

★ FIG, Charleston, SC | Only one meal in Charleston? Make it Mike Lata and Jason Stanhope’s paragon, which takes its cues from the Lowcountry’s abundant waters. 232 Meeting St, Charleston, SC, 843.805.5900, eatatfig.com

Read more about FIG →

★ Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder, CO | Bobby Stuckey leads the most attentive service team in America; thrilling Italian cooking and an astounding wine list send the meal over the moon. 1738 Pearl St, Boulder, CO, 303.442.6966, frascafoodandwine.com

Read more about Frasca Food & Wine →

★ Franklin Barbecue, Austin, TX | Like seeing the Grand Canyon or the Statue of Liberty, everyone should experience the long waits and ample rewards of Franklin Barbecue at least once. 900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 512.653.1187, franklinbarbecue.com

Read more about Franklin Barbecue →

Herbsaint, New Orleans, LA | Nola’s myriad cultures assimilate on Donald Link and Rebecca Wilcomb’s graceful menu. 701 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA, 504.524.4114, herbsaint.com

Read more about Herbsaint →

★ Husk, Nashville, TN | Multidimensional tastes of the South coalesce onto gorgeous plates at Sean Brock’s genial tour de force. 37 Rutledge St, Nashville, TN, 615.256.6565, husknashville.com

Read more about Husk Nashville →

Kachka, Portland, OR | Bonnie and Israel Morales offer the most spirited introduction to Russian dining (and drinking!) in America. 720 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR, 503.235.0059, kachkapdx.com

Read more about Kachka →

★ Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York, NY | Even with a global empire, David Chang’s East Village prototype still best exemplifies his radical, game-changing approach to casual counter dining. 171 1st Avenue, New York, NY, 212.777.7773, momofuku.com

Read more about Momofuku Noodle Bar →

Parachute, Chicago, IL | Korean flavors mark the starting point for Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark’s unexpected but always exceptional forays into global flavors. 3500 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL, 773.654.1460, parachuterestaurant.com

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Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix, AZ | Smoky pies from the godfather of America’s pizza revolution can still rewire synapses with their greatness. 623 E Adams St, Phoenix, AZ, 602.258.8300, pizzeriabianco.com

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Poole’s Downtown Diner, Raleigh, NC | Ashley Christensen’s flagship blends high-low dining and Southern-French sensibilities (oh, that macaroni au gratin!) in a singular ode to Americana. 426 S McDowell St, Raleigh, NC, 919.832.4477, ac-restaurants.com/pooles

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★ Prince’s Hot Chicken, Nashville, TN | Trace the unending hot chicken craze right back to the long, long lines at Andre Prince Jeffries’ perennial must-vist. 123 Ewing Dr, Nashville, TN, 615.226.9442, princeshotchicken.com

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The Publican, Chicago, IL | Paul Kahan defines the twenty-first century beer hall, serving a raucous excess of craft brews, oysters, and pork. 837 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL, 312.733.9555, thepublicanrestaurant.com

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Raku, Las Vegas, NV | Get off the Strip to find the true soul of Vegas dining at this Japanese robata grill specialist. 5030 W. Spring Mountain Rd. #2, Las Vegas, NV, 702.367.3511, raku-grill.com

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★ Roberta’s, Brooklyn, NY | Carlo Mirarchi takes a uniquely freethinking approach to composing a menu; his inventiveness begins with — but reaches far beyond — unbelievable pizza. 261 Moore St, Brooklyn, NY, 718.417.1118, robertaspizza.com

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★ Rose’s Luxury, Washington, DC | Often-lengthy waits for a table end with calming hospitality and Aaron Silverman’s strikingly thrilling acts of culinary daring. 717 8th St SE, Washington, DC, 202.580.8889, rosesluxury.com

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★ Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore, MD | The kitchen at Spike and Amy Gjerde’s always-thronged flagship mines the Chesapeake region’s under-rated culinary treasures, which reach far beyond blue crab. 2010 Clipper Park Rd, Baltimore, MD, 410.464.8000, woodberrykitchen.com

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★ Zahav, Philadelphia, PA | To best appreciate Mike Solomonov’s passionate, exuberant distillation of his Israeli heritage, bring a group, and prepare to feast on mezze and smoked lamb. 237 St James Pl, Philadelphia, PA, 237 St James Pl, Philadelphia, PA, zahavrestaurant.com

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