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2013 Restaurant of the Year: TheOrdinary Enter e‐mail address

Charleston Mike Lata

Restaurant Of The Year

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This Charleston newcomer beat out all the others in our poll

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Helmed by chef Mike Lata, The Ordinary has lived up to theexpectations, and more.

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December 17, 2013

By Dan Myers

Editor

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Today on The DailyMeal

2013 was undeniably a great year for restaurants. From low‐key tohigh‐class and from casual to upscale, new restaurants sprouted upfor every mood and kept us enthralled, excited, and eager to seewhat lurked around the corner all year long. We assembled a list of14 of the year’s biggest openings and asked a panel of noted foodwriters to vote for their favorite, and we’re pleased to name TheOrdinary, in Charleston, S.C., the 2013 Restaurant of the Year.

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In order to assemble our initial list, we looked for restaurants thatmatched a set of criteria: they had to have opened in 2013, andthey had to have made a major splash, making waves in theirrespective cities not just among those in the know and those in theindustry, but among the general public. These buzz‐worthyrestaurants also couldn’t ride on hype alone; they also had to provethemselves by receiving heaps of positive press and highly starredreviews from everyday folks who’ve dined there.

That’s not to say that the other restaurants we considered aren’tpraise‐worthy. In Seattle, Mamnoon’s owners Wassef and RachaHaroun are capturing the flavors of the Middle East in a new, bright,and harmonious way. In Nashville, Tenn., Rolf and Daughters’ PhilipKrajeck is making some of the finest pasta dishes in the country. InNew York, Betony’s roast chicken will spoil all others for you, Askais elevating Nordic cuisine to new heights, and at Estela chefIgnacio Mattos is proving that the small‐plates trend is alive, well,and has plenty more to offer. In Los Angeles, a seat at Trois Mec isofficially the hottest ticket in town and constantly keeps diners ontheir toes; Ari Taymor’s Alma came from nowhere to excite eventhe most jaded diners with modernist techniques and an ambitious,market‐driven menu; and the kaiseki‐inspired Hinoki & The Bird isturning out our Sandwich of the Year, possibly the mostunusual lobster roll ever created. In Atlanta, Ford Fry’s King + Dukeis serving stunningly delicious seasonal creations from their openhearth. In Chicago, Mark Steuer’s Carriage House is capturing allthe magic of Low Country Southern cooking. In New Orleans,Mariza’s brand of rustic Italian‐meets comfort food has localsflocking to the Bywater neighborhood. In Boston, Bronwyn ismaking the rustic cuisine of central Europe new and exciting. And inWashington, D.C., Del Campo’s Victor Albisu’s wood‐burning grill isworking miracles.

But one restaurant receivedtwice as many votes as itsnearest competitor from ourgroup of two dozen panelists:Charleston’s The Ordinary,helmed by Mike Lata. Alsowinning praise from GQ,Esquire, Condé Nast Traveler,and Southern Living, the BestNew Restaurant James BeardAward nominee is everything it’s cracked up to be. Lata, who opensa new restaurant every 10 years without fail (his last restaurant wasCharleston’s perennial favorite FIG), has created what’s nothingshort of a temple to seafood inside a historic bank building.Seafood towers gleam with the bounty of East Coast waters; oysterscome raw, smoked, on a slider, fried and topped with beef tartare,or baked with bottarga butter; other dishes include smoked troutpâté; swordfish belly with arugula, lemon, and buttermilk; braisedSicilian‐style grouper cheeks with polenta; a lobster roll; NewEngland‐style fish chowder; and amberjack schnitzel.

So congratulations on another stunning achievement in TheOrdinary, chef Lata; it’s nothing short of extraordinary, and wecan’t wait to see what the next 10 years have in store for you.

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