For almost thirty years, ZAGAT has reported on the shared experiences of diners. Here are the results of the 2009 AMERICA'S TOP RESTAURANT SURVEY, covering 1,222 restaurants. No matter the economic climate, our appetite for lively dining destinations continues unabated, inspiring ever bolder ventures. For every notable closing, there's another restaurateur waiting in the wings, often joined by an expensive team of architects and designers and ZAGATSURVEY is always there to note the changes. So whether you are looking for the hippest restaurant, where to dine with celebs or find a lunch bargain, the new ZAGATSURVEY 2009 AMERICA'S TOP RESTAURANT SURVEY rates and reviews over 1,250 of America's best restaurants. The newest guide delivers ZAGAT'S signature comprehensive coverage, rating each restaurant on appeal, decor, service and cost.

The bestselling consumer-based survey covers the top-rated restaurants acrossthe USA.

This guide covers more than 2,050 restaurants in all five boroughs, arranged by cuisine, neighborhood, and special features like "In" Places, Winning Wine Lists, or Romantic Places. This edition also includes a foldout color map, neighborhood maps, and reusable stick-on bookmarks.

Washington, DC/Baltimore Restaurants covers over 1,100 restaurants in Washington, Baltimore, Annapolis, the Eastern Shore and Northern Virginia. You'll find trusted ratings and reviews based on the opinions of over 6,700 avid restaurant-goers. The trademark reviews and corresponding ratings for Food, D cor, Service and Cost are organized alphabetically in a user-friendly format. Also includes reusable stick-on bookmarks.

A journalist explores issues about how working-class Americans can afford to eat as they should, describing how she worked as a farm laborer, Wal-Mart grocery clerk, and Applebee's expediter while living within her means.

ZAGAT 2009 Top US Hotels, Resorts & Spas rates and reviews more than 850 of the foremost hotels, resorts and spas nationwide. Candid, no-punches-pulled appraisals are based on the opinions of the people who know best: nearly 8,000 fellow travellers who have been to these places and are happy to share their unbiased reports on what they found. Over 8,000 people have participated in this survey. The average participant spends approximately thirty-one nights per year in hotels basing this survey on 240,000 hotel room nights per year, or 660 visits per night. The participants are equally divided between men and women with 41% in the 20s and 30s and 59% are 40 and over.

THE RESTAURANT AN AUTHORITATIVE, UP-TO-DATE, AND ONE-STOP GUIDE TO THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS In the newly revised The Restaurant: From Concept to Operation, Ninth Edition, accomplished hospitality and restaurant professional John R. Walker delivers a comprehensive exploration of opening a restaurant, from the initial idea to the grand opening. The book offers readers robust, applications-based coverage of all aspects of developing, opening, and running a restaurant. Readers will discover up-to-date material on staffing, legal and regulatory issues, cost control, financing, marketing and promotion, equipment and design, menus, sanitation, and concepts. Every chapter has been revised, updated and enhanced with several industry examples, sidebars, charts, tables, photos, and menus. The ninth edition of The Restaurant: From Concept to Operation provides readers with all the information they need to make sound decisions that will allow for the building of a thriving restaurant business. The book also offers: A thorough introduction to the restaurant business, from the history of eating out to the modern challenges of restaurant operation A comprehensive exploration of restaurants and their owners, including quick-casual, sandwich, family, fine-dining, and other establishments Practical discussions of menus, kitchens, and purchasing, including prices and pricing strategies, menu accuracy, health inspections, and food purchasing systems In-depth examinations of restaurant operations, including bar and beverage service, budgeting and control, and food production and sanitation An indispensable resource for undergraduate and graduate restaurant and food management services and business administration students, The Restaurant: From Concept to Operation, Ninth Edition is also perfect for aspiring and practicing restaurant owners and restaurant investors seeking a one-stop guide to the restaurant business.

The best wine and food pairings create harmony among unexpected flavors. In this adventurous companion to the acclaimed "Perfect Pairings," Master Sommelier Goldstein shows how anyone can bring these emerging, exciting varieties to the table. Includes recipes.

The Washington Post food critic’s guide to the nation’s top ten culinary capitals—plus restaurant recipes you can make in your own kitchen. Follow Tom Sietsema as he dines, drinks and browses at 271 restaurants, bars, and shops while reporting for his America’s Best Food Cities project. Along the way, he measures how each city stacks up in terms of creativity, community, tradition, ingredients, shopping, variety, and service. Sietsema offers a guidebook to his top recommendations, garnished with short descriptions of the eateries he visited, the best things he ordered in each city, and even some signature recipes from notable restaurants along his path, so that you too can make the best dishes without buying a plane ticket. Along the way he dishes out surprises and tips to satisfy the palate of every culinary adventurer. This is the ultimate guide to eating well in America’s top 10 food cities, whether you’re a resident of one of them or planning a visit. Bon appetit!

*THE JAMES BEARD MEDIA AWARD WINNER FOR BEST PHOTOGRAPHY* "Evan Funke's respect for tradition and detail makes American Sfoglino the perfect introduction to the fresh egg pastas of Emilia Romagna. It's bold in its simplicity and focus." — Missy Robbins, chef/owner of Lilia and MISI Forget your pasta machine and indulge in the magic of being a sfoglino with the help of the rich imagery and detailed instructions provided by Evan Funke and American Sfoglino. A comprehensive guide to making the best pasta in the world: In this debut cookbook from Evan Funke, he shares classic techniques from his Emilia Romagna training and provides accessible instructions for making his award winning sfoglia (sheet pasta) at home. With little more than flour, eggs, and a rolling pin, you too can be a sfoglino (a pasta maker) and create traditional Italian noodles that are perfectly paired with the right sauces. Features recipes for home cooks to recreate 15 classic pasta shapes, spanning simple pappardelle to perfect tortelloni. Beginning with four foundational doughs, American Sfoglino takes readers step by step through recipes for a variety of generous dishes, from essential sauces and broths, like Passata di Pomodoro (Tomato Sauce) and Brodo di Carne (Meat Broth) to luscious Tagliatelle in Bianco con Prosciutto (Tagliatelle with Bacon and Butter) and Lasagna Verde alla Bolognese (Green Bolognese Lasagna) in this treasure trove of a recipe book. Includes stories from Italy and the kitchen at Funke's Felix Trattoria that add the finishing touches to this pasta masterclass, while sumptuous James Beard-award winning photographs and a bold package offer a feast for the eyes. Evan Funke is a master pasta maker and the chef owner of Felix Trattoria in Venice, California. Katie Parla is a food writer and IACP award winning author whose work has appeared in numerous outlets, including the New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur. Eric Wolfinger is a James Beard Award winning food photographer. Makes an excellent gift idea for any pasta aficionado or avid Italian cook.