Last year, thousands of restaurants opened across America—and after visiting a surprisingly large percentage of them, the Foodist, Andrew Knowlton , has selected 50 as his favorites. (For the full slideshow glory, click here .) They range from oyster bars and diners to a Mekong-Mississippi mashup and a Texas-style brasserie, but the one thing they have in common is this: flat-out, ambitious deliciousness. Which of these 50 nominees will make the Hot 10 list of the absolute best? Check back August 19 to find out.

Acorn : Denver, CO

Alden & Harlow : Cambridge, MA

Birch : Providence, RI

Blackbrick Chinese : Miami, FL

CBD Provisions : Dallas, TX

Central Provisions : Portland, ME

Coltivare : Houston, TX

Cured : San Antonio, TX

Davenport : Portland, OR

Eat the Rich, Mockingbird Hill, Southern Efficiency : Washington, DC

Edmund’s Oast : Charleston, SC

El Camino : Louisville, KY

Estela : New York, NY

Expatriate : Portland, OR

Grand Central Market : Los Angeles, CA

Gunshow : Atlanta, GA

High Street on Market : Philadelphia, PA

Hot Joy : San Antonio, TX

Kin Khao : San Francisco, CA

London Plane : Seattle, WA

Luksus : Brooklyn, NY

Lusca : Atlanta, GA

Måurice : Portland, OR

MoPho : New Orleans, LA

Mott Street : Chicago, IL

Nico Osteria : Chicago, IL

Night Market Song : Los Angeles, CA

Novel : Kansas City, MO

Odd Duck : Austin, TX

Orsa & Winston : Los Angeles, CA

Palace Diner : Biddeford, ME

The Pig and the Lady : Honolulu, HI

Q : Los Angeles, CA

Qui : Austin, TX

Rhubarb : Asheville, NC

Ribelle : Brookline, MA

Row 34 : Boston, MA

Rose’s Luxury : Washington, DC

Rose’s Meat Market and Sweet Shop : Durham, NC

Sarma : Somerville, MA

Serpico : Philadelphia, PA

Sir and Star : Olema, CA

Sobban : Decatur, GA

Sushi Nakazawa : New York, NY

Thai-Kun : Austin, TX

Tosca : San Francisco, CA

Travail and the Rookery : Robbinsdale, MN

Trois Mec : Los Angeles, CA

Uncle Boon’s : New York, NY

Westward and Little Gull : Seattle, WA

Watch a day in the life at America's Best New Restaurant: