Year in Review: Our 10 Restaurants of the Year
A look back at the places that stood out in 2024
Welcome to the weekend! Here’s what you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:
Restaurants of the Year: A look back at some of our favorite places we’ve covered this year on American Weekender
December’s Featured Field Guide: It’s the holidays, and this month our paid subscribers are getting the presents. We’re offering free downloads of our entire library of Field Guides to our paid subscribers. Find the details at the bottom of this newsletter.
Weekend Reading: Exploring Detroit, a Cajun specialty in Louisiana, and some thoughts about Wisconsin supper clubs
We took a look back on the places we’ve covered this year on American Weekender and picked out 10 restaurants that stuck with us. Obviously, all of them offer delicious food (hello, guava-cream cheese bagels and a standard-setting crudité). But they also offer great experiences, ranging from a coursed dinner at an exceptional chef’s counter to carnitas tortas and tacos al pastor at a sunny picnic table. Add them to your must-visit list for 2025.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
MaMou
Why you should go: Executive chef Tom Branighan and sommelier Molly Wismeier are behind this tiny, boisterous French Quarter brasserie, where the elegant food melds French and Louisiana influences. The braised celery hearts topped with thin slices of beef tongue are a must, as is the poisson a la Florentine with caviar beurre blanc. Don’t miss the bread service, a pretzel batard with smoked butter, and tap Wismeier for the perfect wine to pair it all with.
What to get: Braised celery hearts, poisson a la Florentine
942 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116 | @mamou.nola
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
Cozy Corner Restaurant
Why you should go: In a city filled with great barbecue, Cozy Corner stands out. Raymond and Desiree Robinson founded the restaurant in 1977, and Desiree, who is in her 80s, is the first Black woman to be inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame. This counter-service spot serves terrific food — order the smoked Cornish game hen, slabs of bologna tucked into buns with slaw, and glistening ribs with sides of potato salad. The sauce comes in five heat levels, but don’t be afraid to go spicy — it’s a welcome touch here.
What to get: Cornish hen, BBQ bologna, ribs, potato salad
735 North Pkwy, Memphis, TN 38105 |@cozycornerbbq
CLEVELAND, OHIO
Cordelia
Why you should go: To understand Midwestern food right at this moment, you need to eat at Cordelia. Chef Vinnie Cimino and his talented team of chefs tap into nostalgia and history but present all the dishes in forward-thinking ways. The $90 per person Bellie Up menu is the way to go, since the kitchen will send you a whole bunch of plates. You might receive dishes like the Overdressed Greens, a salad loaded with local hydroponic greens and tomatoes, croutons, shredded havarti, and turmeric-pickled zucchini dressed with white French dressing, or the corned lamb served with fermented mustard demi-glace. Come hungry.
What to get: Bellie Up menu
2058 E 4th St, Cleveland, OH 44115 | @cordeliacle
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
Ruby’s Bagels
Why you should go: Daniela Ruby Varela spent years honing her bagel recipe before she began slinging her rounds out of a truck at the Zócalo Food Park. Her bagels, with a crisp exterior and precisely the right amount of chew, come in flavors like sesame or rosemary and sea salt. Get one with the green onion and cheddar cream cheese, or a specialty offering, like a bacon, egg, and cheese or lox bagel. Our favorite: The Guilty Guava, with plain cream cheese and sweet guava jam.
What to get: Bagel with green onion and cheddar cream cheese, Guilty Guava
636 S 6th St, Milwaukee, WI 53204 | @rubysbagelsmke
PADUCAH, KENTUCKY
Freight House
Why you should go: Sara Bradley’s warm, welcoming restaurant explores the intersection of Midwestern and Southern food. Sit at the bar, order an old fashioned (the bourbon selection is terrific), then peruse the menu. Bradley’s food is highly seasonal, and we found different dishes even a week apart. You’ll find tasty things like butterbean hummus, chunks of housemade jalapeño-cheddar bologna with spicy-sweet mustard, and tangy pickled beets with feta. There are always deviled eggs, so order those. The braised pork shoulder, served with field peas, sweet greens, fennel aioli, and bacon fat cornbread, is — thankfully — a signature.
What to get: Braised pork shoulder, deviled eggs
330 S 3rd St # 102, Paducah, KY 42003 | @freighthousefood
OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI
El Colibri
Why you should go: Better known around town as “Maria’s,” this red food truck is where Maria Rodriguez (a City Grocery alum) slings fantastic tacos, tortas, and other antojitos. Join the line of locals and place an order for an array of tacos, like the tender carne asada, al pastor with pineapple, or chorizo; they come tucked in tortillas with cilantro and onion and with grilled onions, lime, and red and green salsas alongside. The tortas are a must and feature thin slices of sesame-studded bread loaded with your choice of meat (we like the luscious carnitas), refried beans, lettuce, tomato, avocado, queso fresco, pickled jalapeños, and mayo. They’re messy but worth the salsa running down your wrists.
What to get: Tacos, torta
1420 N Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655 | @el_colibri_ox
QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS
Rubato
Why you should go: Laurence Louie took over the cafe space his mother owned for over two decades and turned it into this Hong Kong-inspired counter-service spot. It’s open all day, and the breakfast is stellar — get the Spam bolo, a breakfast sandwich with egg, American cheese, and a slice of Spam on a crisp bao bun; ji cheung fun, slippery rice rolls served “Rubato fun fun” style, which means dressed with brisket, curry fish balls, soy sauce, and hoisin; and lava egg yolk Hong Kong-style French toast, which oozes with rich filling. Rice dishes are available starting at 10:30 a.m., so you can thread the needle and try everything at brunch.
What to get: Spam bolo, ji cheung fun, lava egg yolk French toast
412 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02171 | @rubatofood
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN
Spiedo
Why you should go: A tiny counter-service joint from the team behind Detroit’s Takoi, Spiedo focuses on rotisserie meats and items cooked on the griddle. The flatbread wraps are the star — try the Zhoug Knight, with spit-roasted marinated chicken, zhoug, and half sours on a griddled flatbread with Spiedo sauce, pickled onions, and shredded cabbage. For vegetarians, the Tofu Mafia, with griddled sesame tofu, chile crisp, pickled carrots, and Thai basil, is a tasty option. Seasonal vegetable small plates, like heirloom tomatoes with harissa, basil, whipped feta, and cashew crunch, round out the menu.
What to get: Zhoug Knight, Tofu Mafia
307 S 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 | @_spiedo_
PORTLAND, MAINE
Quanto Basta
Why you should go: Elizabeth Spinillo’s lovely pizza spot brings together her experiences cooking in Italy with Maine ingredients. Order a spritz and a pie — pizza offerings rotate and might include the Salsiccia e Broccolini, with garlic confit, housemade fennel sausage, broccolini ripassata, mozzarella, and pepperoncini oil. Make sure to get a side of bagna cauda, a garlic-anchovy dipping sauce, since the chewy pizza crusts are the ideal vehicle to soak up the funky sauce.
What to get: Pizza, bagna cauda, spritz
249 Congress St, Portland, ME | @quanto_basta_maine
NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
The Charter Oak
Why you should go: Christopher Kostow, the chef at the Restaurant at Meadowood, and his wife Martina, are behind this beautiful place in St. Helena. The food is locally focused and many of the vegetables come from the restaurant’s farm a half-mile down the road. Start with the raw vegetable crudité served with a fermented soy dip, and be sure to try in-season veggies cooked over the hearth. Balance that out with the burger, an umami-bomb with American cheese and pickled jalapeño relish or a grilled tomahawk with melted scallions for the table.
What to get: Raw vegetables, house bread with cultured butter
1050 Charter Oak Ave, St Helena, CA 94574 | @the_charteroak
What were some of your most memorable meals of the year? Share your favorites with American Weekender readers in the comments!
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