Esquire's list of "The Best New Restaurants in America, 2023" just came out and – surprise, surprise – California comes out exceptionally strong, with many featured spots hailing from the Bay Area and SoCal. The magazine's critics gave their top award of "Restaurant of the Year" to Ilis in Brooklyn, where they were impressed by a "fish as it would have been done centuries ago, wrapped in bark and cooked over flames." Hmmm. OK. But out of the 50 places they highlight, an impressive 13 hail from right here in California.