SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OpenTable, Inc. (Nasdaq:OPEN) (www.opentable.com), a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants, today announced the 50 winners of its Diners' Choice Awards for the Top Hot Spot Restaurants in the United States. The list of winners is derived from more than seven million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Los Angeles, City of Angels and celebrities, is also the city of hot spots, with 11 winning restaurants situated within its city limits. New York, aka the city that never sleeps, stayed true to its name with an impressive eight winning hot spots. Down in Florida, the sun isn't the only thing that's hot; ten restaurants from the Sunshine State, including six in Miami alone, were named top hot spots. In a surprise, the Midwest bested Vegas as Chicago boasts six winning restaurants versus Sin City's four honorees. The Twin Cities received twin honors, with two restaurants earning places on the list. Other cities with wins include Boston, Charleston, Cincinnati, Portland, and Scottsdale, among others.
In a nod toward OpenTable diners' love of trying new restaurants, 15 of the winning restaurants are new, opening their doors within the past year. The Top 10 Hottest New Restaurants are, in order of popularity:
| 1. Beauty & Essex – New York, New York |
| 2. Searsucker – San Diego, California |
| 3. Lavo-NYC – New York, New York |
| 4. Girl & the Goat – Chicago, Illinois |
| 5. Cleo-SBE – Los Angeles, California |
| 6. Kenmare – New York, New York |
| 7. Towne Stove and Spirits – Boston, Massachusetts |
| 8. Zuma Japanese Restaurant – Miami, Florida |
| 9. Gilt Bar – Chicago, Illinois |
| 10. The Hurricane Club – New York, New York |
"These awards, in particular, are really a win for the industry," said Caroline Potter, OpenTable's Chief Dining Officer. "They demonstrate that new restaurants can immediately make a splash with diners, as well as proving that established restaurants are sustaining their incredible appeal. The spotlight is shared by celebrity chefs and seasoned restaurateurs as well as hip newcomers, and the cuisine ranges from sexy sushi and Latin fusion to New American and sleek steakhouse fare. It's truly one of our more exciting and eclectic lists, showcasing the best places to see and be seen."
Based on feedback collected from OpenTable diners between March 2010 and February 2011, the following 50 restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, received the highest scores from OpenTable diners. For more information about this list, please visit http://www.opentable.com/hotspots.
| Abe & Arthur's – New York, New York |
| Bar La Grassa – Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| The Bazaar by Jose Andres – Los Angeles, California |
| Beauty & Essex* – New York, New York |
| Buddakan NY – New York, New York |
| Cecconi's – West Hollywood, California |
| Chino Latino – Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Cleo-SBE* – Los Angeles, California |
| Departure Restaurant and Lounge – Portland, Oregon |
| Epic Restaurant* – Chicago, Illinois |
| Geisha House-Hollywood – Hollywood, California |
| Gilt Bar* – Chicago, Illinois |
| Girl & the Goat* – Chicago, Illinois |
| HUB 51 – Chicago, Illinois |
| The Hurricane Club* – New York, New York |
| Jaleo-The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas* – Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Katana – Los Angeles, California |
| Katsuya-Brentwood-SBE – Brentwood, California |
| Katsuya-Hollywood-SBE – Los Angeles, California |
| Katsuya-LA LIVE – Los Angeles, California |
| Kenmare* – New York, New York |
| Koi – West Hollywood, California |
| Lavo – Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Lavo-NYC* – New York, New York |
| Mercadito – Chicago, Illinois |
| Mr. Chow-Beverly Hills – Beverly Hills, California |
| Mr. Chow-Miami – Miami Beach, Florida |
| N9NE Steakhouse Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Nada – Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Nobu Miami – Miami, Florida |
| O-Ku* – Charleston, South Carolina |
| Philippe Miami – Miami, Florida |
| Rocco's Tacos and Tequila Bar – West Palm Beach, Florida |
| Sapporo – Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Searsucker* – San Diego, California |
| Shari Sushi Lounge – Orlando, Florida |
| The Standard Grill – New York, New York |
| STK-Los Angeles – West Hollywood, California |
| SUGARCANE raw bar grill* – Miami, Florida |
| Sunda – Chicago, Illinois |
| SUSHISAMBA dromo – Miami Beach, Florida |
| Tao – New York, New York |
| Tao Restaurant and Nightclub – Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Toku Modern Asian – Manhasset, New York |
| Towne Stove and Spirits* – Boston, Massachusetts |
| Twenty Five Lusk* – San Francisco, California |
| TWO urban licks – Atlanta, Georgia |
| Vic & Angelo's-Delray Beach – Boca Raton, Florida |
| YOLO – Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Zuma Japanese Restaurant* – Miami, Florida |
*Restaurants opened in January 2010 or later.
Diners can also find additional information on the Diners' Choice Awards for the Top Hot Spot Restaurants in the US by visiting the OpenTable "Dining Check" blog at http://blog.opentable.com.
About OpenTable, Inc.
OpenTable is a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants. The OpenTable network delivers the convenience of online restaurant reservations to diners and the operational benefits of a computerized reservation book to restaurants. OpenTable has more than 20,000 restaurant customers, and, since its inception in 1998, has seated more than 200 million diners around the world. The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and the OpenTable service is available throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. OpenTable also owns and operates toptable.com, a leading restaurant reservation site in the United Kingdom.
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