Opinionated About Dining Blog Entry Page. Top 100 U.S.
Restaurants of 2012 There are a few things that are notable about our list of the Top 100 U.S. Restaurants of 2012: - For the first time since we began the survey in 2008, a restaurant other than the French Laundry has been named the number one restaurant in the U.S. Staff Meal at Atlanta’s Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch with Chef Jason Paolini. Too many chefs proclaim “Never stop learning,” but then fall victim to busy schedules packed with media appointments, book tours, and food festivals.
At Atlanta’s Restaurant Eugene and next-door Holeman & Finch Public House, not only is learning alive and well, it’s a built-in part of a staff meal meant to not only feed the crew, but also educate. The chef behind both locations, Linton Hopkins is an ardent leader in the farmers market movement and advocate for Southern ingredients, and he encourages growth within his team by inviting the crew for weekly video sessions (think food porn like Inventing Cuisine) or book club meetings (Eric Ripert’s On The Line and Eleven Madison Park were recent reads).
And for their joint staff meals (swapping three days a week at each location), cooks choose a monthly cookbook to dive into for culinary inspiration. James Beard Awards Are Late (but Welcome) to the Bar. Restaurant Eugene Linton Hopkins 2012 Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S.