America's Best Restaurant Cities

"Today ... most major cities in the U.S. have the kind of gastronomic diversity and regionality that is rich in every department, and even if you’ve visited recently, you can be sure that next time you go, there’ll be more new and enticing restaurants than you could possibly visit," writes Donald Burnam in a recent ForbesTraveler.com piece, "America's Best Restaurant Cities." "It’s getting hard not to have a great meal anywhere in the U.S.." Burnam continues.

Forbes' Top 10 Restaurant Cities:
1. New York City
2. Chicago
3. San Francisco
4. Los Angeles
5. New Orleans
6. Houston
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Atlanta
9. Boston
10. Las Vegas

Rankings were based on: Overall number of restaurants above the fast food level; Number of fine dining restaurants with national and international standing; Solid representation of regional American food; A wide segment of second-tier restaurants that would include seafood, steakhouses, and independently chef-owned restaurants; Breadth and depth of ethnic restaurants, especially if the city has neighborhood such as a Chinatown; A significant number of neigborhood restaurants where the locals tend to eat out regularly; A well-traveled clientele that regards eating out in that city one of the real pleasures of going there.

IN THE NEWS: The PI's Leslie Kelly reports that Jerry Traunfeld, executive chef at The Herbfarm, will open his own restaurant in Seattle in 2008. He's to stay on through the end of the year, however ... Kelly reviews Place Pigalle (81 Pike St.) and Pike Place Chowder (1530 Post Alley), and Jack's Fish Spot (1514 Pike Place), and also pays a visit to the original Starbucks (1912 Pike Place). seattlepi.nwsource.com ... Zephyr Grill & Bar (240 W. Kent Station St., Kent) gets two stars from the Times' Providence Cicero, while Trotter's Restaurant (825 Harvey Road, Auburn), and Rowdy Cowgirl BBQ (3620 Stone Way N., Seattle) also are reviewed. seattletimes.com ... Seattle Weekly's Jonathan Kauffman reviews Steelhead Diner (5 Pine St.), while the Search & Distill column looks at Calamity Jane's (5701 Airport Way S.) and Georgetown Liquor Company (5501 Airport Way S). seattleweekly.com ... Paul Constant of The Stranger also weighs in on Steelhead Diner. thestranger.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com