5 CA Eateries Among Esquire's Best New Restaurants For 2019

CALIFORNIA — Searching for somewhere new to eat? Look no further than the Golden State. California has some of the best new restaurants in the country, according to a new ranked list by Esquire.

Five new restaurants in California were ranked among Esquire magazine's list of the 22 best new restaurants in America for 2019.

Esquire's food and drinks editor Jeff Gordinier crisscrossed the country for the past year searching for the best eats and the best drinks. According to Gordinier, Seven Reasons, a Latin restaurant in Washington, D.C., ranks as the very best. Two restaurants in California, however, came in second and third place.

Nari in San Francisco ranked as the second-best new restaurant in the U.S. Gordinier wrote that Pim Techamuanvivit's menu at Nari "integrates California produce into traditional recipes that Thai women have passed along for generations."

Bon Temps in Los Angeles ranked third. The "all-day restaurant" by chef Lincoln Carson was recognized for its "multiple personalities." Gordinier said the restaurant is "serving food as luxurious and meticulous as anything in Paris or Tokyo but it's doing so with a sprezzatura breeziness that makes the whole experience feel like a day at the beach."

Jeune et Jolie in Carlsbad ranked 11th. Gordinier praised the French eatery's decor and chef Andrew Bachelier's cooking as "some of the finest Cali-French cooking in the U.S."

Alta Adams in Los Angeles ranked 17th. Gordinier described the eatery as more than a mere restaurant. "It's a hang," he wrote. The restaurant serves California soul food.

Joy in Los Angeles ranked 20th. The casual eatery showcases regional Taiwanese cooking using fresh and simple ingredients.

In addition to ranking five California restaurants among the best, Gordinier also recognized "deliciously retro" Dear John's in Culver City as "Pop-Up of the Year."

See Esquire's complete list.