Best Food Cities in the US

As the year's best-of lists kick into high gear, Conde Nast Traveler is out with a ranking of the best food cities in the nation, as judged by its readers. Oakland comes away with top honors, thanks in large part to the wide variety of offerings available, along with a robust taproom and winery scene. Here's a look at the top eight on the full list of 15:

1. Oakland, California: "staggeringly diverse."
2. New Orleans: "fuses Cajun, Creole, Italian, and French cuisines" seamlessly.
3. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: "a buzzy restaurant scene that has turned the city into a dining destination in its own right."
4. Chicago: "experiencing the full range of this city's culinary scene is no easy feat."
5. San Francisco: "fueled by Pacific seafood, California farmland, and nearby Napa and Sonoma wine regions."
6. Lexington, Kentucky: Its "hospitality scene continues to fuse Southern tradition and innovation," plus 14 bourbon distilleries.
7. Columbus, Ohio: A mix of top-notch restaurants and a thriving migrant community bringing Vietnamese and Kenyan food to new audiences.
8. Santa Fe, New Mexico: "Spanish, Indigenous, and Mexican traditions meld into a singular New Mexican cuisine."