GQ Lists Best New York Restaurants; Chicago Magazine Burns Next

GQ's Alan Richman announced his 10 best restaurants in New York, and while the list is fairly predictable (Brooklyn Fare at number one, Le Bernardin at number two), he does place the salon at Per Se (Sam Sifton's number one) at number eight.

"If you come early enough, you can grab the single couch that overlooks Central Park and watch Manhattan sink into darkness," Richman recommends about the salon. "Pair such ambience with Keller's legendary butter-poached lobster, and you'll be experiencing the best of New York."

As for the number one choice, when Le Bernardin's Eric Ripert heard Richman was dropping him in favor of Brooklyn Fare, Ripert told Richman, "There is not another place like Brooklyn Fare on the planet, maybe the galaxy. [César Ramirez] is a f*cking genius."

In Chicago, Next was surprisingly listed as number two in Chicago Magazine's Best New Restaurant list. The first spot went to Lincoln Square's Goosefoot from Chris Nugent. "Next may have gotten the headlines, but Goosefoot is the superior restaurant. It's more inclusive, more fun, less of a pain in the a**," the staff wrote.

And Next's downfall? The experience is "more exciting than satisfying," Chicago Magazine says, "and the staff's encyclopedic recitations of each concept and each course ultimately wear down diners over a long meal." Ouch.