Top New Dining Destinations

Allow us to make some introductions. You'll be pleased to meet (and eat at) these newly opened restaurants.

By Gayot.com for MSN Local Edition

The season yields a bounty of new eateries like Colicchio & Sons.

Restaurants are sprouting up all over the place like pretty spring posies ready to be plucked. We canvassed the country for the best culinary newcomers and weeded out the ones unworthy of your time, pocketbook and tastebuds. Our picks range from renowned chef Thomas Keller's Beverly Hills brasserie to a glam restaurant and lounge offering jaw-dropping views of Philadelphia to an eponymous establishment from Tom Colicchio (where he'll actually be in the kitchen).
Below is a bouquet of dining experiences (just shy of a dozen) harvested from across the country.

French gets fresh at Keller's new Beverly Hill's Bouchon.

Bouchon (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
Beverly Hills' Bouchon perfectly mimics a turn of the twentieth century Montparnasse brasserie. Designed by Adam Tihany, Thomas Keller's new location boasts copious details re-creating la Belle Époque: brass bars around the service station, elegant chairs, a cathedral-high ceiling adorned with a massive brass chandelier that reflects soft light on soaring windows. A battalion of cheerful waiters wearing white aprons animate the vibrant scene. Indeed, this place exudes la joie de vivre. Chef Rory Herrmann of Per Se fame adapted to the standards of this heartwarming eatery. Fare runs the gamut including a seafood platter, leg of lamb, steak frites, roasted chicken with wilted spinach, blood sausage, bouchot mussels, charcuterie, Bibb lettuce with garden herbs, quiches, and croque madame. Read the full review.

Divine dining courtesy of Ceres' Table.

Ceres' Table (Chicago)
Giuseppe Scurato (formerly of Topaz Café in Burr Ridge) opened this serene, blue-walled venture with his wife. From the moment you're seated at rustic, hammered wood tables, their dedication shows. Arancini, oozing with a mixture of Taleggio, artichoke and saffron risotto, are honest and luxurious. Shaved artichoke and mushroom salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano and arugula in truffle vinaigrette captures spring's essence. (Seasonality and local bounty are priorities here.) Pasta dishes range from goat cheese ravioli with rock shrimp, grape tomato, fava beans, leeks and basil to spaghetti alla chitarra. Even the flat-iron steak woos. Add craft cocktails plus a well-matched, approachable wine list, and the result is nothing short of bliss. Read the full review.

Colicchio & Sons (New York)
Colicchio's new eatery has one sure thing going for it: the Top Chef host claims he'll be in the kitchen cooking your meal -- that is, when he's not taping TV shows. The spacious restaurant and Tap Room are understated, putting the emphasis on the plate. Dishes skew Italian with some French influences thrown in: rigatoni with duck, porcini and spring onion, and ricotta ravioli with morels, fava beans and fava leaves. Colicchio creates bold, meaty pairings such as in the tender lamb loin accompanied by merguez sausages and lentils, and loup de mer with pork trotter and sweet-and-sour shallots. Read the full review.

Authentic barbeque done with ease at Community BBQ.

Community BBQ (Decatur, Ga.)
Two guys with strong chef credentials (David Roberts of The Ritz-Carlton and Seeger's; Stuart Baesel of Seeger's) devoted to barbeque can make a difference. Community BBQ's ribs come properly slow-smoked. Mac 'n' cheese is made with large tube pasta that's quite cheesy with a lovely top crust. Their slaw is fresh and delightfully crunchy; we also suggest the collard greens. Dessert might include strawberry shortcake with lemon buttermilk pound cake and whipped cream. Much of Community's ingredients come from local purveyors. Even their lemonade is freshly squeezed. Read the full review.

Il Barone's bleak exterior encases chic décor.

Il Barone Ristorante
(Newport Beach, Calif.)
Located near the John Wayne airport in a generic-looking complex, Il Barone Ristorante is worth the trip to this pocket of Newport Beach. Don't be bothered by the stark exterior. Among the dark woods and modern artwork, business types, lunching ladies, and groups nosh on Franco Barone's Italian favorites. A grilled octopus salad is a good palate-opening course, with its crunchy celery, red onions, bitter arugula and lemon vinaigrette. Opt for homemade pastas like the lasagna parma e tartugo with truffle-infused béchamel sauce. Secondi courses of Italian comfort food include tripe stew, Milanese-style chicken and veal with sautéed mushrooms in a Marsala wine reduction. Both the lunch and dinner menus accommodate discerning vegetarians and no-carb dieters. Read the full review.

Carve out some time to feast at Marlowe.

Marlowe (San Francisco)
Marlowe's rich, moody interior combines elements of an old-world butcher shop and a classic bistro. A roll of butcher paper announces the daily specials. Close tables and low lighting evoke a countryside bistro. Chef Jennifer Puccio's menu hones in on every craving. "Snacks" include alarmingly addictive pistachios coated in a glaze of bourbon, maple and smoked sea salt or wispy Brussels sprout chips. Whole grilled prawns dredged in Bay seasoning could be eaten as is, but come with a jar of "boozy" cocktail sauce. Roasted chicken tastes as if brushed with lavender. And creamy polenta studded with trumpets and chanterelles receives an injection of truffle. Finish with homey yet elegant desserts (apple crisp drenched in bourbon ice cream and a brown butter caramel sauce). Read the full review.
_______________________________________
Related reading from MSN and Gayot.com:
Top 40 U.S. Restaurants
Top Mother's Day Brunch Spots
Top 10 Romantic Restaurants
Top 10 Heart-healthy Restaurants
Top Easter Brunch Spots
Restaurants Near You
_______________________________________

Enjoy food and views that are tops at R2L.

R2L (Philadelphia)
Chef-owner Daniel Stern has reinvented wow dining in Philly with this glam restaurant and lounge on the 37th floor of Two Liberty Place. Diners enter through a street entrance complete with stanchions and a dedicated elevator delivers them directly to the eatery's jaw-dropping view. Stern's culinary sleight of hand keeps you guessing in dishes like venison and caramelized cippolini "cheesesteaks" and lobster cocktail "franks." The menu includes an inventive raw bar -- try the chilled oysters or the striped bass "fish and chip" bites. Desserts by Peter Scarola are favorites with sophisticated twists like the beignets with cinnamon honey, chocolate fondue and caramel, and the sour cream and walnut apple pie with thyme ice cream. Read the full review.

Old fashioned applies to more than a delicious cocktail at Rockwood.

Rockwood Room (Houston)
Michael De Maggi's Rockwood Room strives to reinvent classic cuisine and cocktails from the post-WWII days when dinner began with a Manhattan and a plate of oysters Rockefeller. This sleek, little restaurant in the Tanglewood area doesn't rely on just being retro. Dei Maggi -- who made his mark at Max's Wine Dive -- uses local ingredients and throws in creative flourishes, such as infusing the Texas Kobe burger with butter, glazing his fried chicken with habañero honey, and serving a chipotle dipping sauce with his thick-cut onion rings. Plenty of big steaks and Gulf Coast seafood are on the menu as well as Granny's rigatoni and meatballs. And, yes, they serve oysters "Rockwoodfeller" tinged with applewood bacon and Parmigiano. Read the full review.

Toulouse Petit (Seattle)
A dramatic New Orleans-inspired brasserie, Toulouse Petit celebrates Creole, Cajun and French cuisines. At night, the seductive room glimmers with hundreds of candles; during the day it feels like a quirky art project. The ambitious menu spotlights New Orleans classics such as spicy, rich jambalaya; authentic gumbo; blackened red fish; and crawfish etouffée. Big Easy accompaniments include homemade charcuterie (terrines, rillettes, sausage), bistro salads, soups, poultry prepared four ways -- such as a black pepper-molasses half chicken with wilted garlic mustard greens -- and fresh seafood like Gulf shrimp and bayou crawfish, which are delivered daily. Libations range from classic Southern cocktails to a thoughtful wine selection. Read the full review.

French fusion pioneer Pierre Gagnaire's Twist.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire
(Las Vegas)
The Mandarin Oriental's twenty-third floor sets the stage for a dining experience that avoids the bells and whistles of many Las Vegas restaurants. An intimate design mixes elegant white cracked-eggshell walls and scattered, suspended pearls of illuminated bulbs while 20-feet-high windows overlook the city skyline. Twist is chef Pierre Gagnaire's (a French fusion pioneer) first venture in the U.S. Spot-on presentation includes artfully plated canapés and a synchronized waitstaff. Opt for the tasting menu -- though items are also available à la carte. Dishes reveal themselves in waves of textures and tastes. Such may be the case with "sea and earth": Santa Barbara prawns, spicy grapefruit syrup and ginger potato salad, and poached duck foie gras, scallop mousseline and baby greens. Read the full review.