In its report, Esquire said the 33 restaurants on the list offer “spectacular food … coupled with a damn good time.”
“These are the places you hate to leave, but when you do, you leave full,” the outlet said. “Full of some of the most deeply personal food you can remember eating, full of joy and ideas and hope. You stumble out, way past your bedtime, practically dancing in the street.”
The Philadelphia restaurant to make the cut was Emmett.
Located at 161 W. Girard Ave. in Philadelphia, Emmett blends Mediterranean and Levantine (that’s a subregion featuring parts of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, and Turkey) cuisines in its menus. It also sources ingredients from local farms, and showcases local ceramic, glassware, and interior design artists.
Here’s what writer Joshua David Stein said about Emmett:
If we’re talking about R&B, the classic Philadelphia sound is all about lush strings and tight harmonies. What is the Philly flavor of now? I would argue it’s a rye tartlet filled with American Wagyu tartare and topped with freshly grated horseradish. It’s a sesame madeleine with Baharat butter and peach jam. It’s charred corn agnolotti with tahina, lemon, and fiore sardo. You’ll find all these at Emmett, a Levantine restaurant on Girard Avenue. As the streetcars clang by, chef Evan Snyder harnesses the techniques and ingredients of the Middle East for a dinner that tingles with invention and big swings. How else to describe an absolute banger of duck breast with date malfouf? It’s another reason, as Philly boys Hall & Oates once sang, “to spend another fall in Philadelphia.”
Emmett touts 4.9 stars based on 162 reviews on Google.
See Emmett’s menus, hours, and more online here.
Restaurants on the list are found in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington.