The profile of Mexican cuisine continued to shine as gastronomic leaders gathered in Las Vegas during the last week of September to unveil the inaugural list of North America's 50 Best Restaurants. The list includes six restaurants with menus steeped in the culinary traditions of Mexico.
“From pioneering fine-dining institutions to bold new voices, this list reflects the rich culinary landscape of the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean,” William Drew, director of content for North America’s 50 Best Restaurants, said in a release announcing the list. “We’re proud to honor these exceptional restaurants and the individuals who bring them to life.”
el Restaurante congratulates these outstanding honorees, and shares excerpts from the list’s description of each establishment.
#11 Quetzal, Toronto: “Opened in 2018 and reimagined by chef Steven Molnar in 2019, Quetzal has earned acclaim for its upscale regional Mexican cuisine prepared with Canadian ingredients over an open flame… From sugary coal-roasted sweet potatoes draped in chunky salsa de cacahuate to fire-kissed seafood and meats – like the succulent pork secreto al pastor with charred pineapple – each dish is tucked into fresh, pressed-to-order tortillas made from in-house nixtamalised heirloom corn.”
#14 Californios, San Francisco: “Chef Val Cantú draws from his Mexican roots, California's history and the spoils of the land (each farmer and purveyor is named on the menu) with a vibrant showcase of ingredients displayed tableside in multiple varieties before arriving in dishes… One of Californios' signature bites is a tribute to the chilapita from Guerrero, Mexico. The corn alone sings in a tiny Tierra Vegetables Farm masa negra corn tartlet filled with cranberry bean mousse and chive serrano salsa, topped with Californios' own Tsar Nicoulai estate caviar. Each course expresses maximum flavour, showcasing the earth and soul of Mexico and California's roots.”
#36 Corima, New York City: “Fidel Caballero opened Corima in 2024 – its name meaning 'circle of sharing' in Northern Mexican culture…Caballero's Mexican menu blends global touches with progressive technique. Razor clams in a shrimp consommé are finished with a kimchi ice, a grilled chicken tamale calls for fresh sansho, while the chef's wheat tortillas – served with a charred chile butter – are made with sourdough…Northern Mexican agave spirits including tequila, mezcal, sotol and more, anchor the fruit-forward cocktail list, but much like the food menu, global influences weave their way in. Alongside fermented tomatillo and tres leches cake, sip-seekers will find ingredients that nod to Japan like cherry blossoms and ume sake.”
#42 Holbox, Los Angeles: “Chef Gilberto Cetina learned to cook in the Mercado alongside his father at the family's restaurant, Chichén Itza, where he spent 15 years mastering the art of crafting authentic Yucatecan cuisine…In 2017, he opened Holbox…Before that, a young Cetina summered on the coast of his native Yucatán Peninsula…Tacos, tostadas, ceviches and aguachiles are prepared with conscientiously sourced fish and seafood. Scallops are buoyed in tangy, house-made coctele sauce while quivering sea urchin is majestically presented in its spiky shell. Maine lobster goes straight from the tank and onto the wood-fired grill before it is served with fragrant heirloom corn tortillas from Komal, the neighbouring stall and the city's first artisanal purveyor of tortillas and masa.”
#43 Alma, Montreal: “this 22-seat restaurant's success lies not just in skilled cooking or sharp wine service, but in the shared vision of sommelier Lindsay Brennan and chef Juan Lopez Luna, who together have created one of the best Mexican restaurants outside of Mexico. The restaurant originally began with a menu devoted to cuisine that matched Brennan's wine selection of Catalan and Spanish bottles. But Lopez had an epiphany of sorts while visiting Mexico's Tlaxcala state…The star of Alma's menu is ancestral corn, imported from farmers in Tlaxcala, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Estado de México, then nixtamalised on-site daily to produce corn with optimal taste and texture for the hand-pressed tortillas. Other high quality ingredients are sourced from Quebec, with an emphasis on seafood.”
#45 Alma Fona Fina, Denver: “After years of excelling in other people's kitchens – including his own father's while growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico – Johnny Curiel finally stepped into the spotlight in late 2023, when he and his wife, Kasie, opened this highly polished yet deeply personal showcase of contemporary Mexican cuisine to immediate acclaim…The short menu is divided into four sections: starters, crudos, masa-based dishes, and large plates meant for sharing…Agave-roasted sweet potato with broken salsa macha and fennel-whipped requesón (akin to ricotta) is a signature for a reason, as is adobo-seared hamachi in roasted pineapple puree with tepache oil and salsa seca. For more substantial dishes, think sopes (thick tortillas) with pasilla-braised short rib, salsa verde and crema or halibut in watercress mole verde with pistachio salsa and pickled white onions.”
Sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, the North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled from the votes of a 300-member Academy of regional restaurant industry experts — chefs, restaurateurs, journalists, educators, and experienced diners. For more information, click here.