The most exciting restaurants opening across the US

"If there's one restaurant trend to get excited about, it's pedigreed chefs reinventing the concept of walk-up counters where customers order, then seat themselves. It's an efficient model that allows operators to trim labor costs while featuring fine-dining-calibre ingredients. The trend reflects the general movement of optimizing restaurants to meet the current moment. Inflation and rising living costs have generally left diners more selective on how and where they'll spend their money."

"Tasting menus are another unlikely trend given the eroding demand for fine dining. Chefs are leaning into the experiential side with meals that are theatrical, playful and even educational - and often involve dining in multiple settings. And then there's premium Japanese cuisine, a trend that shows no signs of abating this year. Some of Tokyo's most vaunted sushi specialists and wagyu champions will arrive in the U.S. with their first outposts outside of Tokyo."

Pedigreed chefs are reinventing walk-up counters where customers order and seat themselves, pairing fine-dining-calibre ingredients with labor-efficient service models. Rising inflation and living costs have made diners more selective, prompting luxury dining-room alums to open accessible, amped-up comfort-food concepts ranging from hand rolls to modern steakhouse cuts served with large-format cocktails. Tasting menus are gaining traction as experiential, theatrical, and sometimes educational multi-setting meals despite weaker demand for traditional fine dining. Premium Japanese cuisine is expanding in the U.S., with renowned Tokyo sushi specialists and wagyu chefs opening first international outposts in cities such as New York and Miami. Examples include Fatback in Chicago.

Read at Boston Herald