NYT Lists Palestinian, Jewish Restaurants Among America's Best
The New York Times has included two distinct restaurants, one celebrating Palestinian identity in Washington D.C. and another run by a Jewish couple in Hollywood, in its annual unranked list of the 50 best restaurants in America for 2026. The list was compiled by 16 critics and journalists who traveled across the U.S. to evaluate exceptional culinary experiences.
Albi, a Michelin-starred Palestinian restaurant in Washington D.C.'s Navy Yard neighborhood, secured a prominent spot on the list, recently ranked sixth among North America's top restaurants. Chef Michael Rafidi, whose family hails from Ramallah, leads Albi. Rafidi, who won the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef in the U.S. in 2024, notably wore a Palestinian keffiyeh on stage and dedicated his win to Palestine. The restaurant features an open-fire cooking style with a large wood-fired oven, offering a $185 per person "Sufra" tasting menu. Dishes include grilled Jericho dates, yellowfin tuna kibbeh nayyeh, crab maqluba, and blue crab hummus, which previously received praise from chef Gordon Ramsay. The restaurant's website features quotes from the late poet Mahmoud Darwish and serves wine from Bethlehem and Beit Jala, labeled "West Bank, Palestine." Despite its explicit solidarity with Palestinians and stated opposition to the war in Gaza, Albi has become a favored destination for politicians from both the Democratic and Republican parties.
Jacaranda, a new Hollywood restaurant opened just four months ago, is also featured. It is managed by chef Daniel Patterson and his wife, Sarah Levittin, who has Egyptian Jewish heritage and is a former prominent music critic. The intimate restaurant seats only 30 guests and plays 1990s indie and alternative rock music. Patterson, a former two-Michelin-star chef from San Francisco, is offering a new 12-course tasting menu for $295 per person. The menu includes innovative dishes like silken tofu with seaweed and caviar, shrimp-stuffed zucchini blossoms, and duck breast with cranberries, described by a Times critic as a "detailed work of art."
