The One Can’t Miss Restaurant In Every State

The Bite — famous for its green chile cheeseburgers — has gotten around. It was established as the Bobcat Bite in 1953 outside Santa Fe on the Old Las Vegas Highway. It closed there in 2013, and relocated to Santa Fe itself, rechristened the Santa Fe Bite. In October of last year, the owners retired and closed down that one, too. This fall, the Santa Fe Bite was reborn in Albuquerque, and the green chile cheeseburgers — a definitive New Mexican treat — live on.

From its speakeasy past through its power-broker present, “21” has been a quintessential New York restaurant, serving celebrities, financial titans, politicians, and anyone else who can afford it. The Bar Room ceiling is cluttered with hanging toys and memorabilia donated over the years — a model of the PT-109 torpedo boat from JFK, a baseball bat from Willie Mays, a golf club from Jack Nicklaus…The current chef is French, so things like escargots and duck with foie gras are offered, but so are “21” classics like jumbo lump crabmeat with mustard sauce and creamy chicken hash on toast or wild rice. As New York City fights a spike in coronavirus infections, “21” has closed temporarily.

Crook’s Corner was opened in 1982 with the late Bill Neal in charge of the kitchen and a mission to preserve and reinterpret time-honored Southern fare. An inspiration to countless other modern Southern restaurants, it was hailed as an “American Classic” by the James Beard Foundation. The menu changes often, but expect dishes like jalapeño-cheddar hush puppies, braised pork belly with sweet potato, and country ham with Carolina rice grits. For now, Crook’s Corner is open for in-house dining and takeout on Friday through Sunday, and for takeout only on Wednesday and Thursday.

Opened in 1933 in what was then the Patterson Hotel, Bismarck’s showplace, Peacock Alley today is primarily a steakhouse, serving aged Angus beef in various cuts as well as Dakota cheese curds, “messy and super delicious” half-pound burgers, a few pasta dishes, and more. Located in the heart of downtown Bismarck, Peacock Alley is a popular local meeting place, and a must for visitors.

Cincinnati chili has nothing to do with the Texas stuff. It’s basically a meat sauce with Greek-style spices served on top of spaghetti or hot dogs, sometimes with onions, shredded cheese, and/or beans. Smithsonian magazine named it one of the country’s 20 most iconic foods. The most famous purveyors are the Skyline and Gold Star chains, but true aficionados swear by Camp Washington, which opened its doors in 1940. You can get breakfast sandwiches, burgers, or a tuna melt here, but why would you? It’s all about the chili here.