Houston No. 6 on Best Restaurant Cities List

"Today ... most major cities in the U.S. have the kind of gastronomic diversity and regionality that is rich in every department, and even if you’ve visited recently, you can be sure that next time you go, there’ll be more new and enticing restaurants than you could possibly visit," writes Donald Burnam in a recent ForbesTraveler.com piece, "America's Best Restaurant Cities." "It’s getting hard not to have a great meal anywhere in the U.S.." Burnam continues.

Forbes' Top 10 Restaurant Cities:
1. New York City
2. Chicago
3. San Francisco
4. Los Angeles
5. New Orleans
6. Houston
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Atlanta
9. Boston
10. Las Vegas

Rankings were based on: Overall number of restaurants above the fast food level; Number of fine dining restaurants with national and international standing; Solid representation of regional American food; A wide segment of second-tier restaurants that would include seafood, steakhouses, and independently chef-owned restaurants; Breadth and depth of ethnic restaurants, especially if the city has neighborhood such as a Chinatown; A significant number of neigborhood restaurants where the locals tend to eat out regularly; A well-traveled clientele that regards eating out in that city one of the real pleasures of going there.

IN THE NEWS: Chronicle critic Alison Cook reviews La Guadalupana Bakery and Café, 2109 Dunlavy, and Nidda Thai Cuisine, 1226 Westheimer. And Drive-Thru Gourmet admires McDonald's Southwest Salad. chron.com ... Houston Press critic Robb Walsh reviews Kasra Persian Grill on Westheimer near Gessner. houstonpress.com ... Blogger Food In Houston (http://foodinhouston.blogspot.com/) returns to the acclaimed Annie's Cafe and has the Cinnamon Roasted Pheasant.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com