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Each year, food writers from the New

York Times survey the country to find

America's best restaurants. This year's

list spans 28 states in the District of

Columbia. Everything from a 11

restaurant in Chattanooga, Tennessee to

an allday West African cafe in Houston.

For tonight's interview, we discuss the

50 best restaurants in America with

Brian Gallagher, the New York Times

senior food editor. Brian, thanks a lot

for being with us. How do you put

together this list?

>> Uh, well, it's quite an effort. There's

14 of us all told this year who worked

on it. Um, editors and reporters. We

decide where we want to actually visit

and eat in real life. And then we travel

all spring and the first part of the

summer to places all over the country

and eat way more than any one person

should.

>> And what does it mean, Brian, before we

get to some of the specific examples to

be good? Um there is an industry view

among some people that a restaurant

really doesn't hit its stride till it's

1 to 3 years. You know it's been around

for a while. Is are there any um

contextual ways that you think about f

food and restaurant that affect the

list?

>> Obviously delicious food and mastery of

craft are table stakes. You know every

one of these places has that and a lot

of other places have that too. But we

also look for um you know hospitality is

extremely important. the feeling of the

restaurant, but a unique point of view.

Is the restaurant doing something that's

like special to itself and is it doing

it really well? Is it realizing that

vision? Um, and of course, you know, we

have a variety of

like geography of course, but uh price

points and cuisines. A lot of people,

you know, would say the 50 best

restaurants in the United States would

have to all be fine dining, right?

>> That's not the way best at all. we think

of it's a lot more representative of

like what's going on in the country in a

given year

>> on that idea of hospitality and feel

there's the old cliche you can't eat

atmosphere but it seems in a way you're

saying actually you can um like is it

possible

yeah

>> yeah I mean you can't eat it but I would

argue that's probably a big reason many

people love the restaurants they love is

the atmosphere as much as the food I

mean speaking of old saying you know

people remember how you make them And I

think when they're spending their money

to be with their friends and share a

meal, that's even more true.

>> We've we've got about a minute left. Run

me through just a few that that stand

out and and briefly why they do.

>> Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Corinho, uh, a

Mexican tasting menu place in Chicago

was my favorite meal of the year. Just

incredible mastery of taste, not afraid

of spice for like a cheffy fine dining

place. Uh Kaba, a West Afric Caribbean

and West African place in the East

Village of New York. Incredible handling

of flavors. Lot of fun. Speaking of

hospitality, really loving atmosphere.

Um I particularly like KC Turkey Leg Man

as a pick. It's a whole They really

specialize in exactly that. Smoked

turkey legs in Kansas City, Kansas. Uh

and a really cool story started as a

truck, a food truck. Um, can't forget

Baby Beastro in Los Angeles, which is

our critic Tasel Ralph's favorite. Uh,

lovely six items on the menu at any

given time in a little bungalow house.

Just really make you feel welcome and

part of the city of LA and in a good

way. And um, Mezcalia Alma in Denver.

Denver has an amazing Mexican food scene

right now. And Johnny Curiel, who's the

chef at this restaurant, he has a

Michelin star for his other place. I

think is the best Mexican chef in Denver

and really worth a

>> Brian Gallagher, the New York Times

senior food editor. That was really

great. Thank you so much, Brian.

>> Thanks for having me.

>> My reporter's notebook is next.