Mobil 5-Star American Dining

1. Alain Ducasse -

Address:
155 W 58th St
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 265-7300 Fax: (212) 265-5200

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
French menu. Dinner. Closed Sun; holidays. Jacket required. Reservations recommended.

Details:
When word came that the famed French wizard of gastronomy, Alain Ducasse, was opening a restaurant in New York, the city’s food world began salivating. And while the excess, such as the choice of half a dozen pens to sign the bill, drew some criticism at its opening, people started to embrace the restaurant once they experienced Ducasse firsthand. Ducasse has superhuman culinary powers; food doesn’t taste this way anywhere else, and it sure doesn’t arrive at a table this way anywhere else. Elegant to the point of being regal, Ducasse is a restaurant designed to please every one of the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The room frequently fills with attractive diners. Hours later, when dinner is over and you attempt to get up and walk to the door, you receive a gift for breakfast the next morning: a gift-wrapped buttery, fruit-laced brioche that will make you swoon. If you manage not to dig into it in the cab on the way back to your hotel, you have a will of steel. But divine excess does not come without its price. Dinner at Ducasse will set you back several pretty pennies, but really, isn’t paying your mortgage a dull way to spend your money?

2. Charlie Trotter's -

Address:
816 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (773) 248-6228 Fax: (773) 248-6088

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
French menu. Dinner. Closed Sun-Mon; holidays. Bar. Children's menu. Jacket required. Reservations recommended. Valet parking.

Details:
Charlie Trotter’s is a place for people who equate food with the highest form of art. It is also a restaurant for those who value a chef’s masterful ability to transform sustenance into culinary wonder. But even those who doubt these two tenets will leave Charlie Trotter’s understanding that food is not just for eating. It is for savoring, honoring, marveling at, and, most of all, thoroughly enjoying. Set inside a two-story brick brownstone, Charlie Trotter’s is an intimate, peaceful temple of cuisine of the most refined and innovative variety. Trotter is the Nobel laureate of the kitchen—a mad maestro of gastronomy, if you will—and you must experience his talent for yourself to understand the hype. Charlie Trotter’s offers several magnificent menus, including The Grand Tasting, The Vegetable Menu, and The Kitchen Table Degustation. Each combines pristine seasonal products (Trotter has a network of more than 90 purveyors, many of them local small farms) with impeccable French techniques and slight Asian influences. Trotter prefers saucing with vegetable juice-based vinaigrettes, light emulsified stocks, and purees as well as delicate broths and herb-infused meat and fish essences. The result is that flavors are remarkably intense, yet dishes stay light. Dining at Charlie Trotter’s is an astonishing and extraordinary dining journey.

3. Gary Danko -

Address:
800 North Point St
San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: (415) 749-2060 Fax: (415) 775-1805

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
California, French menu. Dinner. Closed holidays. Bar. Business casual attire. Reservations recommended. Valet parking.

Details:
Bathed in blond wood, filled with artistic floral arrangements, and swathed in serene amber light, restaurant Gary Danko is a sophisticated and civilized culinary destination. From the minute you enter this stunning room, you will understand that dining here--a heavenly experience--is about elegance, luxury, and excessive comfort. Danko, the chef and owner of this distinctive restaurant, has the rare ability to make diners swoon with his refined menu of museum-worthy dishes, each one featuring pristine seasonal ingredients prepared with classic French technique. Signature dishes include roast lobster, foie gras, and lamb loin, each prepared with changing accompaniments as Mother Nature dictates. The 1,500-bottle wine cellar offers an exceptional selection of grand vintages as well as coveted wines from small producers. Gary Danko is a mesmerizing wonderland for lovers of food, wine, and charming elegance.

4. Jean Georges -

Address:
One Central Park W
New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 299-3900 Fax: (212) 299-3908

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
Continental, French menu. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch. Bar. Jacket required. Reservations recommended. Valet parking. Outdoor seating.

Details:
Perfection is a word that comes to mind when speaking of meals at Jean-Georges. Heaven is another word and divine yet another. Located in the Trump International Hotel & Tower (see) across from Central Park, Jean-Georges is a shrine to haute cuisine. Drawing influences from around the world, the menu is conceived and impeccably executed by celebrity chef/owner (and author) Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Vongerichten is a man of meticulous discipline, and it shows on the plate. Nothing is present that shouldn’t be there. Under Vongerichten’s direction, ingredients shine, flavors spark, and the mouth trembles. Suffice it to say that you will be in heaven within minutes of the meal’s commencement. The room is sophisticated and stunning, yet remains comfortable. You’ll find that it’s filled nightly with well-known names, high-powered financial moguls, actors, models, and local New Yorkers who are lucky enough to score reservations. Call well in advance. It is worth the time it may take you to get through. If you can’t manage to secure a table, try your luck at Nougatine, the popular café in the outer bar area. It has a simpler menu but will give you a taste of what Vongerichten is capable of. The bar is also a lovely place to meet for an aperitif or a cocktail before dinner or a walk through the park.

5. Le Bec-Fin -

Address:
1523 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: (215) 567-1000 Fax: (215) 568-1151

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
French menu. Lunch, dinner. Closed Sun; holidays. Bar. Jacket required. Valet parking.

Details:
Still sparkling from its 2002 renovation, Georges Perrier’s Le Bec-Fin, which opened in 1970, remains a shining star for elegant haute cuisine of the French variety. Perrier unveiled his better-than-ever culinary temple after closing the restaurant for one month. During that time, he had architects, draftsmen, designers, and painters working around the clock to transform the Louis XVI-style room into a “turn-of-the-century Parisian dining salon.” Indeed, the room is a bastion of civility with fresh flowers, tawny-toned carpeting, amber lighting, and finely dressed tabletops. In addition to the stunning physical changes to the space, the menu has been treated to a warm wave of fresh air. Perrier’s talented team brings out the brilliance in classic dishes while offering several new creations that are destined to be classics. Perrier’s signature crab cake with haricot verts has remained on the menu through the renovation. It joins an exciting menu divided between Les Entrees (appetizers); an impressive and unusual selection of Les Poissons (fish), depending on availability; and an equally terrific assortment of Les Viandes (meats), also listed according to season and availability. Le Cave, as the restaurant’s wine cellar is known, has also seen improvement. The list has been expanded from 200 to 700 bottles and includes many sought-after vintages and rare selections from private collections.

6. Masa -

Address:
10 Columbus Cir
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 823-9800 Fax: (212) 823-9809

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
Japanese menu. Lunch, dinner. Closed Sun; also two weeks in Aug and Dec. Bar. Casual attire. Reservations recommended.

Details:
You need deep, deep, deep pockets to indulge at Masa, or at least a healthy expense account. It’s the high rollers table for gourmands, given the starting bid is $300 before you’ve had a drink, tacked on the 8.625 percent tax, or made your gratuity donation. A meal can easily hit the $1,000 mark for two, without excessive sake consumption. Dinner in Tokyo doesn’t cost this much. And in New York, a city renowned for having some of the best sushi on the planet, it takes hubris to come out and say that your fish and the way you treat it is better than all other fish prepared everywhere else. But it is. Chef/owner Masa Takayama offers an omakase, or chef’s tasting, that does, indeed, provide a glimpse of the spirituality of living things available to us for consumption. This feast includes more toro in one seating than seems fair, given all the other toro-less dinners one will have to endure in life. The ingredients that Takayama uses are precious, and his ability to present them in a simplified form is artistic. A mere shitake mushroom is raised to shrine-worthy status, attended to as if it were the last pearl of caviar from the Caspian. Every detail presented to you is aesthetically exquisite, from the tasteful sake glasses to the unusual ceramic ware. Pass on a table for this meal and perch yourself at the bar where the chefs will serve you course by course and you can benefit from the calmness of their passionate devotion. Eating at Masa is theatre, and if you accept that the sticker price includes a mesmerizing display of true talent and commitment, the bite may sting a bit less.

7. per se -

Address:
10 Columbus Cir
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 823-9335 Fax: (212) 823-9353

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
American, French menu. Lunch, dinner. Closed two weeks in July. Bar. Business casual attire. Reservations recommended.

Details:
Thomas Keller, the chef at Yountville, California’s The French Laundry, calls his new restaurant in the Time Warner Center Per Se because “it’s not exactly The French Laundry, per se.” What’s missing is the bucolic setting of the Napa Valley, but in its place are the finest views of any restaurant in Manhattan, a new level of urban sophistication in service and ambience, and food so pure in flavor that every meal is memorable. The best way to enjoy Per Se is to order a tasting menu and then sit back for three hours of culinary epiphanies exemplified by small dishes such as truffles and custard in an eggshell and foie gras accompanied by various salts. The kitchen excels in its use of high-end ingredients, but attention to detail is also evident in the regard given to vegetables and legumes. The quality of dining at Per Se is so superior to what is typical, even in a luxury restaurant, that Keller and his team have established the gold standard.

8. Seeger's -

Address:
111 W Paces Ferry Rd
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (404) 846-9779 Fax: (404) 846-9217

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
Continental menu. Dinner. Closed Sun-Mon. Bar. Jacket required. Reservations recommended. Valet parking. Outdoor seating.

Details:
Giving Atlanta locals a taste of culinary excitement, Seeger’s is a deliciously indulgent and comfortably adventurous place to dine. You’ll feel swept away the second you enter the 1938 whitewashed brick cottage and take a seat in Seeger’s bright and airy dining room, furnished with contemporary style and modest grace. Well-spaced tables are set with Riedel crystal and Bernardaud china; smooth damask linens and fresh flowers in precious glass bud vases dress the tabletops. The newly-renovated dining room has only 11 sought-after tables and offers diners the option of sitting in the private upstairs dining room or on the main floor, where brocade-patterned settees and cherry-wood paneled walls add warmth to the stylish space. There’s also a cellar dining room and a chef’s table that seats up to 4 guests. The impeccably prepared nouvelle French menu changes daily and showcases both the pristine ingredients of the season and the wellspring of talent and dedication in the kitchen. Presentations are exciting and entertaining, making incredible use of garnishes and unique presentation pieces. Chef Seeger’s exceptional prowess in the kitchen glows brightly in each course, from bread through dessert. The wine selections are incredibly diverse and will match any ingredient the chef may be featuring on an evening. Throughout the meal, the staff is consistently smooth and complimentary, applying a degree of Southern charm and warmth to each interaction. Seeger’s is a sublime experience that will call you back to Atlanta, if only for dinner.

9. The Dining Room -

Address:
3434 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: (404) 237-2700 Fax: (404) 239-0078

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
French, Japanese menu. Dinner. Closed Sun-Mon; holidays. Jacket required. Reservations recommended. Valet parking.

Details:
If you’re looking for a luxurious spot for fine, divine dining in posh Buckhead, head over to The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead (see) and beg for a table at The Dining Room, the hotel’s magnificent venue for sophisticated fare. The room is opulent, decorated ornately in European style. Deep, tufted banquettes are cloaked in plush Victorian green silk, the walls are decorated with muted sage-toned chinoisserie fabric, and Frette linens top spacious tables. Vintage wall sconces give the room a soft glow, and grand oil paintings add an old-world elegance. The menu is an exercise in pleasure and wonder. Not a note is off as the chef employs subtle Asian touches to accent stunning regional ingredients. After dessert and a spectacular cheese course, it’s time for petit fours, which arrive in a mobile cart in numbers. Loosen your belt. This is luxury at its finest, served to perfection.


10. The Dining Room -

Address:
600 Stockton St
San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 773-6168 Fax: (415) 291-0288

Category: Dining Price: $$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
American menu. Dinner. Closed Sun-Mon. Bar. Children's menu. Business casual attire. Reservations recommended. Valet parking.

Details:
Located in a 1909 Nob Hill landmark, just minutes from Union Square shopping, The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco (see) sets the standard in elegant dining. Romance is the order of the day in this dining room set with floral accents, large murals, and widely spaced tables topped with polished silver, Frette linens, fresh flowers, and tall, slim candles. Adding to the ambience is a harpist who weaves romance in the form of song. Guests are greeted with a champagne cart to start the meal (this is so much fun that other restaurants might want to clone it), followed by a flawless meal of contemporary French fare—fresh fish, meats, game, and poultry are on hand. Guests have the option of ordering the tasting menu or their choice of three, four, or five courses from the regular menu, and the genial sommelier will skillfully present wines to pair with your selections if you like. If you still have room, you can indulge in a wonderful selection of farmhouse cheeses after dinner.

11. The Dining Room at the Woodlands -

Address:
125 Parsons Rd
Summerville, SC 29483
Phone: (843) 308-2115 Fax: (843) 875-2603

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
American menu. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sun brunch. Bar. Jacket required (dinner). Reservations recommended. Valet parking. Outdoor seating.

Details:
Inside the Woodlands Resort & Inn (see), a charming 1906 country home turned resort just a short distance from Charleston, you'll discover The Dining Room, an elegant European-styled restaurant that is accented with fresh roses, cherry wood furnishings, cream-colored walls, a marble fireplace, and white linen tables topped with fine crystal and floral-print china. Perfecting the atmosphere of Southern charm in a post-plantation setting, The Dining Room offers gracious service and a daily changing menu of flavorful, regional American dishes that play with colorful accents from the Mediterranean, Asia, and the American South. The kitchen showers loving attention on ingredients from the region, often mentioning local farmers by name. This practice adds a nice sense of place to the menu and enhances your experience on an educational level. The trouble with an evening at The Dining room at the Woodlands is that, as with most good things, it must come to an end. But with desserts like white chocolate beignets, it is a sweet ending indeed.

12. The French Laundry -

Address:
6640 Washington Ave
Yountville, CA 94599
Phone: (707) 944-2380

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
American, French menu. Dinner. Closed Mon; Thanksgiving, Dec 25; also first three weeks in Jan. Reservations recommended.

Details:
There are dinners—the kind you go out for because you’re hungry—and then there are destination dinners—the kind around which you build a trip. The French Laundry, a Napa Valley food mecca, belongs firmly to the latter few. Chef Thomas Keller has set the standard for fine dining in America from the circa-1900 rock and timber cottage, once a French steam laundry. Refined table appointments, including the house Limoges china, crystal stemware, and floor-length linens, set the tone for elegant five- and nine-course French tasting menus that change daily but always rely on seasonal produce and organic meats with a dose of comestible luxuries like foie gras and truffles. The country locale, warm interiors, and dignified enthusiasm of diners take the starch out of the well-paced experience. But do expect to plan for it well in advance. Restaurant reservation agents recommend calling two months in advance of dinner, but aficionados say you can’t be too early.

13. The Inn at Little Washington -

Address:
309 Main St
Washington, VA 22747
Phone: (540) 675-3800 Fax: (540) 675-3100

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted: Yes
American menu. Dinner. Closed Tues (except in May and Oct), Dec 24-25. Bar. Business casual attire. Reservations recommended. Valet parking.

Details:
Opulent, luxurious, romantic, mind-altering, and magnificent: these are just a handful of adjectives that come to mind after experiencing dinner at The Inn at Little Washington. Set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, The Inn’s dining room is heavy with charm, appointed with rich draperies, tasseled lampshades, and vases overflowing with elaborate flower arrangements. As for the food, it’s spectacular. Chef Patrick O'Connell has amassed almost every culinary award in existence. (He must have a separate house for all his plaques and trophies.) For the wonderful opportunity to be a guinea pig in his gifted presence, you will fork over a tidy sum, but your financial indulgence will be well rewarded. Plates are breathtaking, assembled from pristine seasonal ingredients that sparkle and balanced flavors that dazzle. Seasonal dishes that should be considered required eating include the crab cake "sandwich" with fried green tomatoes and tomato vinaigrette; the sesame-crusted Chilean sea bass with baby shrimp, artichokes, and grape tomatoes; the rabbit braised in apple cider with wild mushrooms and garlic mashed potatoes; and, for dessert, the pistachio and white chocolate ice cream terrine with blackberry sauce. An amazing wine list will give you the right buzz to match your meal. To make matters even better, coddling is a specialty of the house, so be prepared to have your every whim catered to with grace and warmth.

14. The White Barn Inn Restaurant -

Address:
37 Beach Ave
Kennebunkport, ME 04046
Phone: (207) 967-2321

Category: Dining Price: $$$$ Credit Cards Accepted:
American menu. Dinner. Closed three weeks in Jan. Bar. Jacket required. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating.

Details:
A pair of restored barns dating to the 1860s now houses The White Barn Inn and its restaurant. A New England classic, this charming candlelit space, filled with fresh flowers, white linen-topped tables, and beautiful pastoral views, is a perfect place for a relaxed but elegant dining experience. The specialty of the house is, as you might expect, contemporary New England cuisine; the chef offers delicious regional dishes expertly accented with a European flair. The four-course prix fixe menu changes weekly, highlighting seafood from Maine’s icy waters as well as native game and poultry. An ant-loving picnic menu is available in summer months for dining under the sun or stars. The vast wine selection perfectly complements the cuisine, and a rolling cheese cart offers some of the best local artisans’ products to savor after your meal. In addition to the cozy vibe and mouthwatering menu, The White Barn Inn Restaurant offers exemplary service. The end result is an overwhelming urge to snuggle in and never leave.