- Restaurant Guide: 20 Legendary Restaurants
- The Sterns Stop at 11 Neighborhood Joints Across the U.S.
- 14 Cool Old Bars from New York City to Hollywood
- Colman Andrews on the Best BBQ
- Gourmet Entertains Menus: Legendary Dishes; Andrea Reusing, Lantern Restaurant, Chapel Hill, NC
- Women Who Have Changed the Way We Eat: Marcella Hazan; Clementine Paddleford; Ariane Daguin
- Seasonal Kitchen: Butcher Cuts for Less
- Citymeals-on-Wheels: Recipes from Legendary Chefs
- Chicago: Francis Lam on Alinea
- The Gourmet Cookbook Club’s October Selection: “The Art and Soul of Baking” by Cindy Mushet
- Insider’s Guide to Istanbul Restaurants
- New at Gourmet.com
In “Loud and Clear” (page 28), Gourmet’s editor in chief, Ruth Reichl, notes that “every October for the past 13 years, Gourmet has published a special restaurant issue. We’ve told you about the newest trends in restaurants and offered recipes from celebrity chefs.” This year’s issue is different, she says: “We were tired of the latest, the hottest, the hippest, the coolest. In times like these, you want a reminder that some things do last. So we went looking for a few grand American restaurants that have stood the test of time. We picked 1941 as the cutoff date, simply because that’s when Gourmet debuted. There is a reason why these places have been so beloved for so long.”
The Restaurant Guide: “Time’s Tables” (page 77). Gourmet’s editors spent the past year selecting 20 legendary American restaurants that have stood the test of time and still serve great food: Giardina’s, Greenwood, MS; Manago Hotel, Captain Cook, HI; Bright Star, Bessemer, AL; Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant, Galveston, TX; The “21” Club, New York City; Sammy’s Ye Old Cider Mill, Mendham, NJ; Galatoire’s, New Orleans; The Student Prince, Springfield, MA; Joe T. Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant, Fort Worth; El Charro Café, Tucson; Locke-Ober, Boston; Joe’s Stone Crab, Miami Beach; Hyeholde Restaurant, Coraopolis, PA; Gene & Georgetti, Chicago; Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood; The Lexington, St. Paul; Lawry’s The Prime Rib, Beverly Hills; Maneki, Seattle; The Oyster Bar, New York City; and Tadich Grill, San Francisco.
In Roadfood: “Still Saucy After All These Years” (page 48), Jane and Michael Stern visit 11 old neighborhood joints across the U.S. that were thriving in 1941 and are still worth a detour today, including: Belgrade Gardens, Barberton, OH; Dew Drop Inn, Mobile, AL; Dot’s, Wilmington, VT; Kumback Lunch, Perry, OK; Matt’s Place, Butte, MT; McClard’s, Hot Springs, AR; Mike Linnig’s, Louisville; Plaza Café, Santa Fe; The Smith House, Dahlonega, GA; Wilton Candy Kitchen, Wilton, IA. Address Book is on page 181.
Drinks: “On the Rocks of Ages” (page 52) features great old bars that have been open since before 1941. From New York City to Hollywood, these are Gourmet’s editors’ 14 favorite coolest bars in the U.S.: Bemelmans Bar, New York City; Tujague’s, New Orleans; Tosca Café, San Francisco; The Green Mill, Chicago; McGillin’s Olde Ale House, Philadelphia; Huber’s, Portland, OR; and Frolic Room, Hollywood. Best of the Rest include: Formosa Café, West Hollywood; Heinold’s First and Last Chance, Oakland, CA; Napoleon House, New Orleans; Pete’s Tavern, New York City; Shinnick’s Pub, Chicago; Sultana Bar, Williams, AZ; The Tap Room of the Griswold Inn, Essex, CT.
In “Steaking a Claim to the Best BBQ” (page 36), Gourmet contributing editor Colman Andrews heads to Santa Barbara County, in Northern California, to explore Santa Maria–style barbecue. Andrews eats at the restaurant Hitching Post II, in Buellton, made famous by the hit movie Sideways, and at other restaurants: Shaw’s; Far Western Tavern; Jocko’s; and Hitching Post I.
