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After a year of traversing the country, Eater restaurant editor Bill Addison has released his America's Essential Restaurants package, which includes the second edition of his National 38 list as well as superlatives, trends, and a nod towards breakfast.
For the second year, Oleana holds a place on the 38, with Addison praising "the kitchen's unequaled savvy with intricate spicing."
"Even when American trends like deviled eggs, burrata, and sweet potato fries pop up on the menu, the sun-baked flavors that surround them speak profoundly to the lands of [Ana] Sortun’s inspiration," he writes.
Meanwhile, on Addison's superlatives list of the best burger, taco, etc. that he encountered on his travels, Loyal Nine's blueberry grunt is awarded Most Unforgettable Sense-of-Place Sweet.
"The grunt, a New England forefather of cobbler, finds a capable revivalist in Loyal Nine pastry chef Adam Ross," writes Addison. "His blueberry version is baked in the oven until the juices surge over their cast-iron dish and halfway submerge the tender dough on top. When it’s served, vanilla ice cream melts across the golden crust in rivulets; each bite is a perfect taste of summery goodness."
