The 38 Most Essential Restaurants in NYC, LA, and SF

That age-old question—"Can you recommend a restaurant?"—is one heard often around respective Eater HQs in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. To answer that once and for all, here's the Eater 38. Each 38 is a city-specific list spanning myriad cuisines and, collectively, satisfying all restaurant needs, save for those occasions when one absolutely must spend half a paycheck. Over time, each city's Eater 38 will evolve, with new restaurants joining as others fall off, but we'll keep the total number steady at 38 in each metropolis. The only hard and fast rule of engagement is that a restaurant must be open at least six months to qualify for inclusion on the list, though strong consideration is given to neighborhood favorites over fancier destination spots. And so, without further ado, here is the Eater 38, three times over.
· The 38 Most Essential New York Restaurants [Eater NY]
· The 38 Most Essential San Francisco Restaurants [Eater SF]
· The 38 Most Essential Los Angeles Restaurants [Eater LA]