New Orleans

Though still recovering from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina, the Crescent City's restaurants have come back strong. According to local food authority Tom Fitzmorris' New Orleans Menu newsletter, 891 restaurants are now open in the city—up from 809 before Katrina. That includes nearly all of the old favorites—Commander's Palace, Dooky Chase, Brennan's and Emeril's. This is a city that lives and breathes food, and lunch can last until cocktails start at six. The city's indigenous cuisine remains Creole, but over the past 25 years it's been imbued with Cajun, Italian and New American, giving this great restaurant city real strength in every culinary category.