Yelp Reveals Top 100 Places To Eat In U.S., Features Black & Asian-Owned Baltimore Gem Ekiban

Bossip
Video

Source:
@ekibenbaltimore

Yelp
revealed
its
11th
Annual

Top
100
Places
to
Eat
in
the
U.S.
list
featuring
Yelper’s
most
buzzed
over
restaurants
in
the
country
headlined
by
Tumerico
in
Tucson,
Arizona
which
took
this
year’s
#1
spot.

The
vegan/vegetarian
restaurant
from
renowned
Chef/Owner
Wendy
Garcia
is
known
for
its
mouthwatering
twists
on
classic
Latin
food
like
potato
tacos
with
cashew
cream
and
prickly
pear
cactus
“nopalitos”
tacos.

Representing
for
Black-owned
businesses
is
Baltimore
gem
Ekiben
which
delights
diners
with
unique
Asian
fusion
dishes
like
its
signature
Neighborhood
Bird
(Taiwanese
curry-fried
chicken
thighs
topped
with
spicy
mayo),
Tofu
Brah
(crispy
tofu
nuggets
drizzled
with
a
spicy
peanut
sauce),
and
The
Original
(Thai
chicken
meatballs
with
coconut
black
peppercorn
sauce,
seasonal
slaw,
and
fresh
herbs).

Since
the
opening
of
the
original
space,
the
Black
and
Asian-owned
franchise
has
earned
rave
reviews
from

Travel
&
Leisure, Vogue,
and Eater,
according
to
a
profile
in

Baltimore
Magazine.

“This
all
comes
from
the
support
of
the
city
and
the
people
who
live
here,”
says
Operations
Manager

Ephrem
Abebe
who
co-owns
the
franchise
with
college
friend/chef/CFO/marketing
maven

Steve
Chu.

“Baltimore
is
a
true
blue-collar
city
and
likes
seeing
the
success
of
small-time
businesses
and
people
growing
and
grinding
it
out.
We
get
tourists
coming
in,
but
it’s
the
people
two
doors
down
who
are
sustaining
us.
The
community
has
allowed
us
to
get
to
this
point.”

This
year,
there’s
overwhelming
representation
from
Asian,
Asian
Fusion,
and
Southeast
Asian
restaurants,
making
up
25%
of
the
list.

While
Asian
cuisines
were
the
most
represented,
this
year’s
list
features
a
diverse
collection
of
cuisines
from
beloved
Mexican
eatery
Cocina
Madrigal
(#52)
in
Phoenix
to
standing
sushi
bar
EDOBOY
(#44)
in
Orlando
to
famed
cheesesteak
and
burger
joint
Gino’s
Deli
Stop
N
Buy
(#9)
in
San
Antonio.

“From
New
York
City
to
Houston,
and
Florida
to
California,
Yelp’s
Top
100
Places
to
Eat
list
celebrates
the
must-visit
local
restaurants
across
the
United
States,”
said
Tara
Lewis,
Yelp’s
Trend
Expert.
“This
year’s
list
embraces
the
unique
tastes
of
our
users
and
spotlights
the
beloved
hidden
gems
across
local
communities.”

Since
its
2014
debut,
the
list
has
recognized
more
than
750
establishments
across
more
than
380
cities.
With
18
restaurants
in
the
collection,
California
maintained
its
top
spot
ahead
of
Florida
(13
restaurants)
and
Arizona
and
Texas
(tied
with
eight
restaurants).

To
curate
the
list,
Yelp
uses
a
combination
of
community
submissions
and
data
that
offers
a
unique
perspective
into
what
diners
are
craving
across
the
country.

As
Yelp
celebrates
its
20th
anniversary
later
this
year,
the
brand
is
“spotlighting
the
stories,
trends
and
data
that
show
how
Yelp
helps
people
more
meaningfully
connect
with
their
local
community,”
per
a
press
release.

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