America's 10 Best New Steakhouses

The names of the dimly lit, wood-paneled temples of American steak are well known: Morton's, Peter Luger, Ruth's Chris, The Palm, Charlie Palmer's, and Jess and Jim's. For decades, these august establishments have pushed a simple formula — meat + potatoes x butter = bliss — so effectively that Americans would probably put the steakhouse just below the house of prayer, the elementary school, and grandma's house in the hierarchy of community institutions, were that research to be conducted.

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But the 21st-century meat renaissance has begun to change the landscape. Super-premium beef is now widely available, and any novice has at least a shot at turning a well-marbled hunk of dry-aged Kansas City strip into juicy, ruby-red perfection.

As a result, a new breed of steakhouse has emerged. High-end beef remains the organizing principle, but new twists on ethnicity, technology, and provenance are being used to reinvigorate the grand old traditions.

With help from the (imagined) Brotherhood of Cholesterol Libertarians, The Daily Meal has compiled a list of the "Best New Steakhouses in America." From Laurelhurst Market in Portland, Ore., to Prime Meats in Brooklyn, these are the new breed of steakhouses that shouldn't be missed. The only criteria: The establishments on the list must have been opened since the dawn of the 21st century.