From The Nations Restaurant News: Restaurants that steal our hearts and stand the test of time
This
year’s NRN 50 offers readers a glimpse into restaurants around the
country that have survived and thrived in good times and bad, and have
captured, and held, the attention of diners everywhere.
The
annual special report, undertaken by the editors of Nation’s Restaurant
News, is a testament to an industry that has taken its hard knocks of
late in the midst of the Great Recession, but remains stronger than
ever — partly because of the industry history that NRN 50 restaurants,
the youngest of which is about 50 years old, helped to build nationwide
and in the smallest of neighborhoods.
Finding just 50 U.S.
restaurants that have stood the test of time and still remain relevant
today was a near impossible feat. While the NRN 50 is expansive,
geographically diverse and filled with concepts from quick-service
burger brands to the finest of dining establishments, there are
countless more restaurants that have indeed stolen the hearts of
consumers everywhere. Still, this special report showcases enduring
restaurants that reflect the industry’s entrepreneurialism and the
personalities behind the brands, from the Snyder family at In-N-Out
Burger in Irvine, Calif., to Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan at
Commander’s Palace in New Orleans.
Online Exclusive: Take a peek into the stories of 11 restaurants
• Big Texan Steak Ranch – Amarillo, Texas
• Café Du Monde - New Orleans
• Canlis – Seattle
• Cold Spring Tavern – Santa Barbara, Calif.
• Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana - New Haven, Conn.
• Kewpee Hamburgers - Lima, Ohio
• Lasyone's Meat Pie Restaurant - Natchitoches, La.
• Nathan’s Famous - Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Philippe the Original - Los Angeles
• Schmidt’s Sausage Haus und Restaurant - Columbus, Ohio
• The Greenbrier - The Main Dining Room - White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.