In celebration of the local restaurants diners return to time and again, OpenTable (NASDAQ: OPEN), the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations, has announced the 2014 Diners’ Choice Award winners for the Top 100 Best Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in America. These awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 19,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Highlighting eateries that contribute to the character of their neighborhoods, the complete list includes award winners in half the states in the nation and Washington, D.C., including Lucia’s Restaurant and Wine Bar in Minneapolis, Red Gravy in Brooklyn, and The Yellow Porch in Nashville. California has 24 winning restaurants sprinkled throughout the state, followed by New York with 10, and New Jersey and Pennsylvania with six each. Both Florida and Georgia have five honorees, while Massachusetts and Texas each boast four. Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Tennessee, Washington, and Washington, D.C., all have three winners, and the states of Delaware, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, and South Carolina have two apiece. Alabama, Colorado, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Utah are also represented.
Although American fare is the most popular cuisine, Italian cuisine was a close second, with 25 restaurants specializing in dishes inspired by Lo Stivale, or The Boot. French fare is popular as well, as are seafood and southern menus.
“The winning restaurants on this list are in many ways the heart and soul of their neighborhoods, offering much more than delicious meals,” says Caroline Potter, OpenTable Chief Dining Officer. “They provide a place that inspires a real sense of community and pride, making local area foodies feel right at home, night after night.”
The Diners’ Choice Awards for the Top 100 Best Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in America are generated from more than 5 million restaurant reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between June 1, 2013, and May 31, 2014. All restaurants with a minimum “overall” score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the percentage of qualifying reviews for which “neighborhood gem” was selected as a special feature.
Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the Top 100 Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in America according to OpenTable diners. The complete list may also be viewed at http://www.opentable.com/m/best-neighborhood-gem-restaurants-in-america/.
2014 Diners’ Choice Award Winners for the Top 100 Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in America
Agave – Atlanta, Georgia
Apartment 13 – New York, New York
The Back Room Steakhouse – Apopka, Florida
Bar Lucca – Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Battuto Italian Kitchen – Dallas, Texas
Benissimo Ristorante and Bar – Corte Madera, California
Bethany’s Table – Portland, Oregon
Bistro de la Gare – South Pasadena, California
Bistro Grace – Cincinnati, Ohio
Bistro Piattini – Albuquerque, New Mexico
The Black Sheep Bistro – Old Town Spring, Texas
Blue Marlin – Bradenton Beach, Florida
Blue Ribbon Rustic Kitchen – San Diego, California
BO-beau kitchen + garden – La Mesa, California
Bottega – Baltimore, Maryland
Buck’s Fishing & Camping – Washington, D.C.
Bustan – New York, New York
Cafe Nell – Portland, Oregon
Casa Bella Trattoria – Haddonfield, New Jersey
Casper Fry – Spokane, Washington
The Cecil – New York, New York
The Chef’s Table – Rocklin, California
Chicago Joe’s – Las Vegas, Nevada
The Clam – New York, New York
Common Quarter – Marietta, Georgia
Croce’s Park West – San Diego, California
Crossings – South Pasadena, California
Crux Cafe – Audubon, New Jersey
District Kitchen and Cocktails – Austin, Texas
Eastland Cafe – Nashville, Tennessee
El Sitio Steak and Seafood – Collingswood, New Jersey
Favaloro’s Big Night Bistro – Pacific Grove, California
Finca – Salt Lake City, Utah
Fork! – Cornelius, North Carolina
Gemma – Dallas, Texas
Glen Ellen Star – Glen Ellen, California
Glyndon Grill – Glyndon, Maryland
The Good King Tavern – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Granary – Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Grange – Westwood, New Jersey
The Grilled Oyster Company – Potomac, Maryland
Gusto – San Carlos, California
Hammocks Trading Company – Sandy Springs, Georgia
Heyday – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Il Segreto – Bel Air, California
Ilios Noche-Park Rd. – Charlotte, North Carolina
Ink & Elm – Atlanta, Georgia
Kinfolk – San Francisco, California
Kitchen on George – Mobile, Alabama
Laurel – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Little Nonna’s – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
L’Oceano Ristorante – Collingswood, New Jersey
Longitud315 – Highwood, Illinois
Lou’s Village – San Jose, California
Lucia’s Restaurant and Wine Bar – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Luna Blu – Tiburon, California
Maximiliano – Los Angeles, California
mkt. – Seattle, Washington
M’Tucci’s Kitchina – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Nico – San Francisco, California
Nico’s Taco and Tequila Bar – Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Obstinate Daughter – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
Oda House – New York, New York
Osmanthus – Oakland, California
Osteria Mattone – Roswell, Georgia
Paris Bistro-Chestnut Hill – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pascal and Sabine – Asbury Park, New Jersey
The Pastaria – Los Gatos, California
Picasso on Paseo – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
the plimouth – Denver, Colorado
Po Le Cucina – Spring House, Pennsylvania
Pomodoro Rosso – New York, New York
Red Cow – Seattle, Washington
The Red Feather – Cincinnati, Ohio
Red Gravy – Brooklyn, New York
Reunion Kitchen + Drink – Anaheim Hills, California
Roma Ristorante – Carmel, Indiana
Rossetti Restaurant of Lynn – Lynn, Massachusetts
Sarma – Somerville, Massachusetts
Satsuma – Wilmington, Delaware
Sociale – Brooklyn, New York
South + York – Winter Springs, Florida
South End – Venice, California
Stone’s Public House – Ashland, Massachusetts
Stones Throw – San Francisco, California
Stonewood Grill & Tavern – Orlando, Florida
Stonewood Grill & Tavern – Wellington, Florida
T.W. Food – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Tavola – New York, New York
Taylor’s Kitchen – Sacramento, California
Thally – Washington, D.C.
Thomas Restaurant – Kansas City, Missouri
Tortino – Washington, D.C.
Trabocco – Alameda, California
Unite Urban Grill – Chicago, Illinois
Vincitori Fine Italian Cuisine – Westmont, Illinois
V’s Restaurant – Malibu, California
Wild Iris – Brentwood, Tennessee
The Writing Room – New York, New York
The Yellow Porch – Nashville, Tennessee
Diners can also read more about the Diners’ Choice Awards for the Top 100 Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in America by visiting the OpenTable “Dining Check” blog.
