Every year, we announce the Bon Appétit Hot 10 , our list of America's Best New Restaurants. And it all starts with these 50 nominees. Over the last several months, Andrew Knowlton and Julia Kramer criss-crossed the country seeking out the truly original, innovative, and unexpected cooking taking place right now. These are the spots that killed it this year. The restaurants range from a quintessential French bistro to a place that serves pretty much only hummus, an eclectic brewpub to a vodka-soaked Russian joint. The one thing they have in common is this: flat-out deliciousness. Which ones of these 50 nominees will earn a spot in the Hot 10 ? Check back August 18 to find out.

Aatxe : San Francisco, CA

Al’s Place : San Francisco, CA

Alimento : Los Angeles, CA

Arcade Bakery : New York, NY

Artisan Meat Share : Charleston, SC

Biscuit Love : Nashville, TN

Cosme : New York, NY

Dai Due : Austin, TX

Damn the Weather : Seattle, WA

The Dining Room at the White Hart Inn : Salisbury, CT

Dizengoff : Philadelphia, PA

Dove’s Lucheonette : Chicago, IL

East Ender : Portland, ME

Gardner : Austin, TX

Gjusta : Los Angeles, CA

The Grey : Savannah, GA

Heyday : Minneapolis, MN

Hola Arepa : Minneapolis, MN

Jon & Vinny’s : Los Angeles, CA

Kachka : Portland, OR

Kindred : Davidson, NC

Krog Street Market : Atlanta, GA

Lazy Bear : San Francisco, CA

Leon’s Oyster Shop : Charleston, SC

Liholiho Yacht Club : San Francisco, CA

Loyal Nine : Cambridge, MA

Luscher’s Red Hots : Dallas, TX

Manolin : Seattle, WA

Milk Glass Mrkt : Portland, OR

Milktooth : Indianapolis, IN

Mission Chinese Food : New York, NY

Momofuku Ko : New York, NY

Parachute : Chicago, IL

Petit Trois : Los Angeles, CA

Porcellino’s : Memphis, TN

The Progress : San Francisco, CA

Rintaro : San Francisco, CA

Rose’s Fine Food : Detroit, MI

Saltine : Jackson, MS

Santina : New York, NY

Semilla : Brooklyn, NY

Shaya : New Orleans, LA

Small Brewpub : Dallas, TX

Southbound : Richmond, VA

Spoon and Stable : Minneapolis, MN

Tandem Coffee + Bakery : Portland, ME

Thip Khao : Washington, DC

Townsend : Philadelphia, PA

Trentina : Cleveland, OH

Trove : Seattle, WA