Judging something as subjective, and often protean, as culinary greatness is never an easy task, especially in this day when so many restaurateurs, sommeliers and even diners are branching off into exciting, eclectic and disparate directions with their food and wine choices. What constitutes an excellent menu? How does one find what can be considered the very best in a wine list?
In Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Restaurant Awards’ third year, our panel agreed: greatness is a composite of excellence in many areas, but the unifying factor? Vision. An exemplary wine program is about depth, breadth and quality, but also about soul. It’s about offering the top tier of wines from the greatest wine regions of the world, making accessible the most prized vintages, and pairing dishes creatively with wines of all price points. But it’s also about taking chances, exercising poetic license, boldly introducing consumers to gems of all prices they may never have known, and doing so in a friendly, informed manner.
All of our applicants exhibited wine programs that were a cut above the norm, displaying creativity, knowledge and care in their offerings. But our top winners took that love one step further by not only nailing the list, but expertly guiding consumers through it. Following are profiles of the Award of Ultimate Distinction winners, and a complete listing of all honorees nationwide.
Congratulations to all! Click here for our fully searchable database of America’s Best Wine-Driven Restaurants of 2006.
All of the following restaurants received the Award of Ultimate Distinction. Click on the restaurant’s name for the full review.
Award of Ultimate Distinction Winners
Click here for our fully searchable database of America’s Best Wine-Driven Restaurants of 2006.
Award of Unique Distinction Winners
| 1550 Hyde Cafe and Wine Bar | Diva At The Met | Pierpont’s At Union Station |
| 1789 Restaurant | Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro | Pinot Brasserie |
| 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille | The Drae Restaurant & Lounge | Port Land Grille |
| 30 Degree Blue | The Elbow Room | Press |
| Adele’s | Eno | Pulcinella Ristorante And Ciao Bar |
| American Seasons | Enotria Cafe & Wine Bar | Quality Meats |
| Ana Mandara | Equus Restaurant | The Quiet Woman |
| Angelo’s 677 Prime | Fair Hill Inn | Ranch Steakhouse |
| Angus Barn, The | Fiamma Osteria | Ray’s Boathouse |
| Atlanta Grill | Fiamma Trattoria | Restaurant 213 |
| Atria Restaurant & Bar | The Firehouse Restaurant | The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards |
| Avalon | First Crush Restaurant | Restaurant O |
| Bacchus | Fleur De Sel | Ristorante Panorama |
| Barbetta | Greens Restaurant | Rose Pistola |
| Barking Frog | Harvest | Sale e Pepe Restaurant |
| Barolo Grill | Havana | Salish Lodge and Spa |
| The Bay House | Hawthorne Lane | Salpicon |
| Bella Italia | Highlands Dining Room at the Mountain Top Inn & Resort |
Seasons |
| Billy’s At The Beach | Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas | Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar |
| Birchfield Manor Country Inn | The Homestead Restaurant | Sidebern’s |
| Bistro Bethem | Hush Restaurant | The Signature Room |
| Bistro Henry | Il Terrazzo Ristorante | Smith & Wollensky |
| Bleu Provence | Jay’s Bistro | Smith & Wollensky |
| BLT Fish | Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse | Smith & Wollensky |
| BLT Prime | Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House | Smith & Wollensky |
| BLT Steak | Julia’s Kitchen | Smith & Wollensky |
| Blue Fin | Kelly Liken | Smith & Wollensky |
| The Blue Star | La Sirena Restaurant | Smith & Wollensky |
| Blue Water Grill | Larkspur Restaurant | Soby’s New South Cuisine |
| Bon Caldo Ristorante And Bar | Le Lan | Stage Left |
| Bosc-Kitchen and Wine Bar | Le Titi De Paris | Swan Terrace |
| Bottega Del Vino | The Left Bank | Tamarine |
| Brook’s Steakhouse | Les Nomades | The Tavern |
| Butch’s Restaurant | Longhi’s Wailea | Thalassa Restaurant |
| Cafe Boulud | Lucky Palace | The Grill at The Ritz Carlton, Palm Beach |
| Cafe Di Scala | The Majestic Steakhouse | Todd Jurich’s Bistro |
| Cafe Esin | Maloney & Porcelli | Tomasso Trattoria |
| Cafe Kandahar | McCrady’s | Tournedos Steakhouse |
| California Grill | Meritage Philadelphia | The Triple Door |
| Castle Hill Inn & Resort | Michael’s at the Inn | Trotters |
| Cetrella | The Milton Inn | Truffles |
| Chef’s Table | Mockingbird Bistro | Tundra Restaurant |
| The Chef’s Table At The Elbow Room | Monarch Restaurant And Wine Bar | Twenty-Eight Atlantic at the Wequassett Inn |
| Chez Francois | Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar, The | Uncle Yu’s – Lafayette |
| Chicago Chop House | Nice Matin | Uncle Yu’s – San Ramon |
| Churrascaria Plataforma | Niche Restaurant | Uncle Yu’s at the Vineyard |
| Churrascaria Riodizio Tribeca | Nobhill @ MGM Grand Casino | V.Mertz |
| Cinco | The Norton’s Restaurant | Ventana Room At Loes Canyon Resort |
| The Cliff House Restaurant | The Oakroom | Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse |
| Cole’s Chop House | The Old Ebbitt Grill | Vidalia Restaurant |
| Copper Beech Inn | One Sixtyblue | Vines Wine Bar And Tapas |
| Crow’s Nest Restaurant, The | Onotria Wine Country Cuisine | Vue Restaurant |
| Davidburke & Donatella | Papa Joe’s | White Orchid at Peppermill Hotel and Casino |
| Della Notte Ristorante | Parson’s Table, The | The Wine Cellar |
| The Dining Room at Woodlands | Picholine | Winfield’s Bistro |
Click here for our fully searchable database of America’s Best Wine-Driven Restaurants of 2006.
Award of Distinction Winners
| 1515 Restaurant | Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: | Park Avenue Cafe |
| 21 Main | Woodmere, OH | Park Place on Main |
| 21 Oceanfront Restaurant | Nashville, TN | The Park Steakhouse |
| 33 Restaurant & Lounge | Memphis, TN | Parkside Rotisserie & Bar |
| 360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower | Tampa, FL | Patsel’s |
| 801 Steak & Chop House | Austin, TX | Pazzaluna |
| 82 Queen Inc | Las Vegas, NV | Pazzo Italian Cafe |
| Adair’s | Tulsa, OK | Philander’s of Oak Park |
| Adelmo’s Ristorante | Baltimore, MD | Pigalle |
| Agrario | Akron, OH | Pisces Rising |
| Aida Bistro & Wine Bar | Lincolnshire, IL | Pomp At The Resort At |
| AJ Maxwell’s Steakhouse | Englewood, CO | Paws Up |
| Aleo Restaurant | Houston, TX | Poppy’s Seafood Factory |
| Allegro Ristorante | North Scottsdale, AZ | The Post House |
| Anderson’s Cajun’s Wharf | Knoxville, TN | Prego |
| Andiamo! | Sarasota, FL | The Prime Rib |
| Annie Gunn’s | Hendersonville, NC | The Prospect Restaurant |
| Ascots Restaurant | Monroe Township, NJ | The Rancher’s Club of New Mexico |
| Ashiana | San Antonio, TX | Redfish Blufish |
| Asia De Cuba San Francisco | Appleton, WI | Restaurant 301 at the Hotel Carter |
| Asia SF | Oshkosh, WI | Rickshaw Far East Bistro & Bambu Lounge |
| Asiatique Restaurant | New York, NY | Rio Grill |
| Assaggio Ristorante | New York, NY | Riodizio Churrascaria |
| The Asylum | Galena, IL | Riverstone Restaurant & Tavern |
| Austin’s Steakhouse | Flight | Rock Center Cafe |
| Bacaro | Forsgate Country Club | Roppongi |
| Backstreet Cafe | Francesca’s At Sunset | Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion: |
| The Barona Oaks Steakhouse | Fratellos Riverfront Restaurant | Bonita Springs, FL |
| Bijou Cafe | Fratellos Waterfront Restaurant | Philadelphia, PA |
| Bistro 1888 | French Roast, New York, NY | Rancho Mirage, CA |
| Bistro 1896 | French Roast, New York, NY | Plano, TX |
| Bistro 6301 | Fried Green Tomatoes | Austin, TX |
| Bistro At Crowne Pointe | Gallery On Oak Creek, The | San Francisco, CA |
| Bistro Zin | Gamble Mill Restaurant, The | Newport Beach, CA |
| Bloom | Gerard’s | Woodland Hills, CA |
| Bloom | The Girl And The Fig | Naples, CA |
| Bong Su Restaurant & Lounge | Green Room At Hotel Du Pont | Tampa, FL |
| Bouchon Santa Barbara | The Grille | Ruth’s Chris Steak House: |
| Brandy Library Loung LLC | Guinness & Porcellis | Wailea, HI |
| Brett’s Waterway Café | Harry’s Cafe & Steak | Atlanta, GA |
| Brigitte’s Restaurant | Harry’s Continental Kitchens | Scottsdale, AZ |
| Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse | Harry’s Savoy Gril | Austin, TX |
| By Word of Mouth Restaurant and Catering | Harry’s Seafood Grill | Atlanta GA |
| Cafe d’Alsace | The Heartline Cafe | Bellevue, WA |
| Cafe Lurcat | Hereford House | Portland, OR |
| Cafe Lurcat/Bar Lurcat | The Herr Tavern & Publick House | Atlanta, GA |
| Cafe Margaux | Hugo’s | Del Mar, CA |
| Cafe On The Green | Huntington’s Grille | Seattle, WA |
| Capsoluto Freres | Il Fornaio | Salty’s On Alki Beach |
| Carlton, The | Indigo Restaurant | Salty’s On The Columbia |
| Carmelo’s Ristorante, Houston | Inn At Manitou | Sam’s On The Waterfront |
| Carmelo’s Ristorante, Austin | Ivy Restaurant | Savage River Lodge |
| Cartwright’s Sonoran Ranch House | Jackson & Wheeler | Savannah’s Restaurant |
| Casa Havana | Jeffrey’s of the Westfield | Scotch ‘N Sirloin, Dewitt, NY |
| Catal Restaurant & Uva Bar | Jesse’s Restaurant | Scotch ‘N Sirloin, Rochester, NY |
| Cazwellas | JFR Barn | The Sea Grill |
| Celadon | Jiko – The Cooking Place | Seablue |
| Celebrations Restaurant & Bar | Jimmy’s | Seasons Of Durango |
| Charley’s Steak House | Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | Second Empire Restaurant & Tavern |
| Chillingsworth | Joseph’s Table | Serafina |
| Chimney Park Bistro | Kinzie Chop House | Shadowbrook Restaurant |
| Chops City Grill, Naples | Kitchen Bar | Shaw’s Restaurant & Inn |
| Chops City Grill, Bonita Springs | Koberl At Blue | Ships Inn |
| Ciao Pizzeria And Wine Bar | La Bergerie | Sidney’s Grille |
| Ciola’s Italian-American Restaurant | La Campania | Silver Thatch Inn Restaurant |
| Cite Grill | The Lafayette Inn | Smash Wine Bar and Bistro |
| CK’s Steakhouse | Lake Street Cafe | Spencer’s for Steaks & Chops |
|
Clyde’s Of Georgetown |
Lasalle Grill | Splash Seafood Bar & Grill |
|
Clyde’s Restaurant Of Tysons Corner |
Lava Bistro And Bar | St. Louis Fish Market |
| Cortez Restaurant & Bar | Lawry’s The Prime Rib | The Stained Glass |
| Cosimo’s On Union | Le Monde | Stardust Restaurant and Lounge |
| Counter | L’Express | The Steakhouse |
| Cowboy Club | L’Heritage Restaurant Francais | STK |
| <p |
Published: February 1, 2007
