This FL Eatery Is Among Esquire’s Best New Restaurants In America

FLORIDA — Itamae AO in Miami has made Esquire’s exclusive 2024 list of the Best New Restaurants in America, which was released Tuesday.

The list of 35 restaurants includes eateries that punch above their price point, are romantic enough for date night, or just a great place for a boozy, delicious night out with friends, Esquire said.

Chef Nando Chang was praised for his use of flagrant acid in his cooking at Itamae AO.

“He serves coils of slippery, sweet squid in a pool of leche de tigre made with fermented yuzu. He offers slices of grilled eel alongside a pink strawberry gel that’s fortified with aji panca, a Peruvian pepper. It’s sweet and sour and savory all at once, and it’s unlike anything else you’ve eaten this year. Or ever,” Esquire said.

California and New York each had eight mentions on the list, including the “Restaurant of the Year,” Four Kings in San Francisco, and the “Comeback of the Year,” Le Veau d’Or in New York City.

Other states with restaurants on the list include Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas, with two each, and Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington and the District of Columbia, with one each.