Texas BBQ in California (yes, Texas) among the best restaurants in US, says New York Times

In a state home to thousands of restaurants, five have emerged with a new honor to boast about.

The New York Times named them among the best restaurants in America this year, joining 45 other restaurants nationwide to share the honor — and presumably beckon more diners.

Two of the California restaurants on the list recently made Bon Appétit’s best new restaurant list .

Here are the California eateries named the New York Times’ favorite restaurants in America for 2024, along with a snapshot of why they made the list.

More: Your guide to Michelin star dining in California, including 7 new additions in 2024 not to miss

Quince: Pricey, but ‘perfect’

The New York Times acknowledges Quince is expensive at $390 a person, but it’s “a perfect California fine-dining restaurant.” The three Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco offers its guests a 10-course experience that changes daily, featuring produce from the restaurant’s organic farm, to a four-course lunch — because who said lunch is a casual affair?

Four Kings: New life to San Francisco’s dining scene

Four Kings is a restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown that offers Hong Kong flavors while playing 1990s Cantopop songs. The restaurant, owned by chefs Franky Ho and Mike Long, was praised by the media company as “breathing much-needed fire into San Francisco’s dining scene.”

Fikscue: A standout menu

A visit to Austin, Texas in 2017 paved the way for Fikscue , the halal Texas barbecue restaurant with Indonesian fusion dishes, according to the restaurant. The Alameda-based spot from Reka and Fik Saleh are behind a menu that the New York Times describes as “unlike anything else in the country.”

Camélia: A ‘chic’ Los Angeles bistro

Chef Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan are behind the French Japanese bistro Camélia in Los Angeles, which the media company describes as a “chic, freewheeling bistro.” Diners in the Los Angeles area may already be familiar with the pair’s other work: Tsubaki in Echo Park and the neighboring sake bar Ototo.

Azizam: ‘Tastes like being home’

The Persian-cuisine restaurant Azizam is from Cody Ma and Misha Sesar. The Los Angeles restaurant was praised for its menu items, including the ash-e-jo, which “tastes like being home, no matter where you’re from” — Azizam’s inspiration is their families’ cooking, according to the restaurant. Both Bon Appétit and the New York Times highlighted the restaurant’s kofteh Tabrizi as well.

Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Texas BBQ in California (yes, Texas) among the best restaurants in US, says New York Times