By Matthew Odam

Updated Oct. 19, 2017

You can tell a great deal about a city by the way its citizens express themselves, whether through art, music or civic engagement. I find food to be one of the most engaging articulations of individuals and community, with restaurants offering a specific lens through which to view a city.

Every good city needs a comforting Italian restaurant and ritzy steakhouse, but the best restaurants are often ones that feel as if they couldn’t be found anywhere else. The kind of place a city can brag about.

My annual Dining Guide attempts to deliver a snapshot of Austin’s growing scene while celebrating that which is original and special about the city. Food — its quality, thoughtfulness and consistency of execution — is always the most important factor in determining a ranking. A restaurant’s sense of place, its ability to surprise me with uniqueness and creativity and to provide a consistently high level of service also weigh into my judgments.

The guide features my Top 25 restaurants in the Austin area followed by 50 more critic’s picks, which are listed alphabetically simply because differentiating between No. 52 and No. 67 is enough to drive a critic mad. I’ve visited all of these restaurants (and many more) at least once in the past year, and a restaurant has to have been open by July 1 of this year to be considered for the guide. The lists contain high-end restaurants as well as a smattering of trailers. I kept my parameters limited to locally owned restaurants in the Austin area.

Don’t see one of your favorites, or think a ranking is too low or too high? Maybe my visits came on an especially strong or weak night. Maybe I was bored by a static menu. Or, maybe we just simply disagree. Which is understandable. It’s just my opinion, man. Besides, another thing that makes a city great is the room it gives for healthy debate.

All appreciation of food is subjective, and you will surely pick nits or disagree vehemently with this list. That's great. I love feedback. You can email modam@statesman.com, call 512-912-5986, snag my attention on Twitter (@odam) or Instagram (@matthewodam), or send a letter to the Statesman's office. Let's keep the conversation going.