D.C. Tops Zagat’s List of Biggest Food Cities of 2016

Major foodie metropolises like New York and Chicago are certainly havens for the hungry as they historically have offered the most diverse options when it comes to cuisine. But big-name chefs have begun to explore the smaller markets to bring their big-city taste to the accessible masses. Zagat’s list of the nation’s cities with the biggest growth in food in 2016 is evidence of this trend as smaller areas of the country grace the top 10 alongside their larger counterparts.

Coming out on top is Washington, D.C., a city on the smaller side that packs power in terms of politics but not always in terms of food. This past year, however, was different as three District-area restaurants were considered for the title of America’s Best New Restaurant by Bon Appetit magazine. Filipino hotspot Bad Saint won second place on this esteemed list, with Tail Up Goat and The Dabney coming in as honorable mentions.

The James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic also resides in the nation’s capital: Aaron Silverman is the brains behind Rose’s Luxury and Pineapple & Pearls, both overnight successes in D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Other top 10 cities included North Carolina’s Charlotte and Asheville, as well as the larger usual suspects like New Orleans and Philadelphia.