Every year, Zagat releases its list of the Most Exciting Food Cities in America for the year prior. They decide the top cities by asking editors and publishers to make a case for their top pick, and from there. As Zagat said of their methodology in a press release, "The list is curated based on feedback from industry experts and Zagat editors who have tired and tested the best of what the 2017 most exciting food cities have to offer." This selection process often means that smaller, less established cities are missing from the list. However, two Texas cities landed in the Top 15 this year, with one city taking home the second-place prize.
Check out the full list below, and continue reading to see what industry experts had to say about the state of food in the Lone Star State.
15. New York City, N.Y.
14. Boston, Mass.
13. Houston, Texas
12. Raleigh, N.C.
11. Philadelphia, Penn.
10. San Francisco, Calif.
9. Atlanta, Ga.
8. New Orleans, La.
7. Charleston, S.C.
6. Washington, DC
5. Seattle, Wash.
4. Denver, Colo.
3. Chicago, Ill.
2. Austin, Texas.
1. Los Angeles, Calif.
Of course these cities don't necessarily spring to mind when you think of Southern home cooking, with the exception of Georgia and Texas. While this is opinion-based, I would personally like to see more Midwestern and Southern cities on this list. Birmingham, Alabama is going through a small revitalization right now, and San Antonio, Texas has always been a hot spot for authentic Tex-Mex and barbecue in the state.
Here's what the experts had to say about their choices.
Houston, Texas
Clocking in at #13, Houston captured the attention of Ellie Sharp with its lineup of new and trailblazing restaurants. As she points out, "While Hurricane Harvey cast a dark shadow over the city for much of 2017, one ray of light continued to be the growth and diversity of Houston's exploding restaurant scene."
Austin, Texas
The words 'Austin' and 'foodie' are basically synonymous at this point as the capital snagged the second spot on the list, losing out to Los Angeles in first place. Austin's dedicated food scene, which each year features new mix-ups and cuisines, secured its spot on the list as Veronica Meewes wrote that the Austin food scene "proved to be more 'here to stay' than 'up-and-coming.'"
I'm sure many Texans could argue that this list simply highlights the trendy cities of the U.S., and they might be right. San Antonio, in particular, deserves more credit than it publicly receives for its food culture. What Texas cities would you add to this list?
