9221 Best Restaurants in USA

Toscanini's Ice Cream is a well-loved local spot, specializing in all sorts of creative flavors; it has garnered national attention from the likes of the New York Times and People magazine. Also a good place for coffee, the shop frequently has small art exhibits. From the MIT Museum, it's two blocks up Mass Ave. toward Central Square; look for it on the right.

An intimate setting with white tablecloths and contemporary art draws diners to this establishment—part wineshop, part restaurant—with a seasonally changing menu. The Cajun-style crab cakes, served for lunch year-round, are outstanding. For a small fee, your waiter will uncork any wine you select from the shop.

Stop here for some ultra-thin-crust slices to go.

Locals line up outside the door for Versailles's respectable, bargain-priced Cuban food. Diners go crazy over the citrusy mojo-marinated chicken seasoned with loads of garlic; others prefer flank steak, paella, or ropa vieja (shredded beef).

Co-owned by trumpeter Herb Albert, Vibrato takes a high-road approach to a jazz club: this is a stylish, acoustically perfect venue where every table has a view of the stage. The kitchen is as notable as the music; it turns out contemporary American fare such as pan-roasted sea bass with a fennel-leek ragu, macaroni and cheese with bacon-parmesean crust, and USDA Prime steaks. Art on the walls was painted by the Grammy-winning owner himself.

For years, the diner at the Beverly Garland Hotel was sadly overlooked. No longer. Led by Executive Chef Warren Schwartz, the menu at Warren's Blackboard is simple, seasonal and approachable. A comfortable dining area that's great for families is on one side of the room, and a bar area with television screens playing classic movies can be found on the other. Start with a buratta and pear salad and a spectacularly savory mushroom and bacon popover. Dinner entrées include grilled salmon with yams, treviso, and tangerines, or seared scallops with carrot risotto, grapefruit, and tarragon.

Begun by Jeff and Kari Keenan, the talents behind the terrific artisan shop ChocolateSmith, which is next door and also well worth investigating for a sweet snack, Whoo's has developed a near-fanatical following for its traditional as well as creative doughnuts (maple-bacon with dark-chocolate glaze and chile-brown sugar, blueberry-jelly with cherry glaze, white-chocolate pistachio), which are prepared daily from scratch, sourcing organically as much as possible. Get here early—Whoo's is open daily from 7 until 3 (or until that day's doughnuts have sold out).

Expect a warm welcome and a lively atmosphere at this longtime Rockridge favorite. A neighborhood gem in the truest sense, Wood Tavern serves contemporary American brasserie food with quality wine, well-crafted drinks, and refined service.

Thick lamb chops, roast lamb, oxtail stew, and shrimp scampi have made this Basque eatery a local institution. All meals are served family style, so you might share your table with diners you don't know. Meals include vegetables and a potato, pasta, or rice dish, and many gluten-free options—but this is no place for vegetarians.

Decades ago Yoshi's was launched as a pricey fine-dining restaurant in the Lakeview neighborhood. We offer this history lesson to say that while the atmosphere went jeans-casual and the prices became more reasonable, the cooking quality remained, and remains, high. Yoshi Katsumura turns out informal French-Asian cuisine, like duck breast with black currant sauce or roasted Japanese pumpkin filled with tofu (it's good enough to convert a carnivore). Sunday brunch includes the expected eggs along with a Japanese-inspired breakfast (fish, miso soup, vegetables, and steamed rice).