This MI Restaurant Is Among 50 Best In U.S., New York Times Says In New Raking

One of America’s best restaurants is located in Michigan, according to a new list from The New York Times.

To develop The Restaurant List, 14 New York Times and editors took 76 flights to 33 states, where they ate more than 200 meals, the publication said. The sleuths showed up unannounced and made reservations through a smartphone app.

“We pay for all of our food, and we don’t accept freebies. We eat like you do, with the same hope for a meal to remember, to be welcomed and delighted,” The Times wrote.

More than half of the restaurants have opened since the 2024 list was published, The Times said.

In Michigan, Modern Bird stood out as remarkable, according to the report.

Modern Bird, which opened in July of 2022 in Traverse City's downtown area, is headed by chef Andy Elliott and his wife, Emily Stewart, whom he met while working at Boka in Chicago.

The restaurant brings creative farm-to-table dishes with " textures in ways that leave a lasting impression," Sara Bonisteel of the Times said.

"Each dish calibrates contrasts, using local produce from the Leelanau Peninsula," Bonisteel said.

She recommended guests try the fish dishes, especially the Walleye, which is fried as a roulade filled with a mousse made of walleye scraps.