Food & Wine magazine last week released its list of the 15 best restaurants in the country and four are easily accessible to Connecticut diners.
Two New York City restaurants, one just over the western Connecticut-New York border and one in Portland, Maine, made the Food & Wine list, putting some of the best food in the country just a train ride (now even quicker on Metro-North) or short road trip away.
The list was compiled by Food & Wine’s panel of experts as part of the third annual Food & Wine Global Tastemakers awards. The magazine consulted more than 400 chefs, writers, and travel professionals to compile the list.
“While it’s incredible to travel the world for the best culinary experiences, you don’t have to trek to France or Japan to get great food,” the magazine wrote. “For everyone on more of a domestic budget this year, this list celebrates the best dining destinations right here, right now in the United States.”
Only one New England restaurant made the list — Mr. Tuna in Portland, Maine. At no. 6 on the list, Mr . Tuna, helmed by Jordan Rubin and his wife and partner Marisa Lewiecki, started as a sushi cart in 2017 and opened its first brick-and-mortar last year. The magazine’s restaurant editor, Raphael Brion, said one of the restaurant’s dishes was among the best he had eaten.
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“Pure and unadorned, the specific cuts will vary based on what’s in season and what’s available, but it’s a narrative told by Jordan Rubin, aka Mr. Tuna himself, and might include different cuts from the same fish, and possibly a seared version,” Brion wrote. “Taste the metaphorical rainbow, if it were made of sustainably caught tuna from the northern Atlantic.”
Two New York City restaurants also made the list.
At no. 3, The Musket Room was praised for being “upscale and global” and serving dishes that are “works of art,” drawing inspiration from cuisines worldwide.
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“On the savory side, you might see a vaguely Spanish-inspired dish like a grilled Ibérico pork with rhubarb, smoked almond puree, and sherry; on the sweet side, a Madagascar vanilla–infused cheesecake with mango chutney, smoked Tajín, and housemade chamoy,” Brion wrote.
At no. 12 East Village seafood restaurant, Penny made the list. While the no-frills, fresh seafood trays are a must-have, according to Food & Wine writer Amelia Schwartz, the ice cream sandwich must truly not be missed. Frozen cookies are swapped for buttery brioche.
“Rather than hardening and freezing like a cookie, the bread soaks up the ice cream while the brown seeded crust acts as a border, protecting any stray drips from sliding down your wrist,” Schwartz wrote. “Plus, the sandwich isn’t too sugary — allowing for the bright, salty strawberries and subtly sour passion citron marmalade to cut through the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream.”
Just over the border from western Connecticut in Pine Plains, New York, Stissing House took the no. 10 spot on the list. The Duchess County restaurant is housed in one of the oldest taverns in the country, dating back to 1782. The menu was praised for its daily changes and wood-fired dishes.
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“Drive up for a weekend of leaf peeping in upstate New York, and start with a drink by the fire before getting cozy in the candlelit dining room,” the magazine wrote. “The daily changing menu features simple pleasures, like pickles, chips, or a cup of broth. But the real treats are roasted over the wood fire, like dayboat scallops cooked over the coals, or a suckling pig crisped up until crackling.”
April 7, 2025