:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Ranking-The-US-Cities-With-The-Most-Globally-Diverse-Food-Options-FT-BLOG0525-3934e41620b540d092e146b22b4be7af.jpg "The Most Diverse Food Cities in America, Ranked")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Ranking-The-US-Cities-With-The-Most-Globally-Diverse-Food-Options-FT-BLOG0525-3934e41620b540d092e146b22b4be7af.jpg)
- San Francisco tops the list of most diverse dining cities in the United States, according to a new report by culinary school Escoffier.
- Researchers analyzed 38 major cities using the Shannon Diversity Index, scoring them on the variety of 46 global cuisines offered, adjusted for population and restaurant density.
- Culinary diversity correlates with coastal locations, cost of living, and immigration trends, but smaller cities like Portland and Seattle outperformed some larger metros, highlighting that food diversity isn’t just about population size.
If you’re anything like us, dining options are a major factor in your summer vacation plans. Planning a cross-country trip includes a few stops at top dining destinations along the way — and one recent report might serve as your roadmap.
A recent study by the esteemed culinary school Escoffier highlighted the most diverse dining scenes in major cities across the United States. San Francisco earned the top award for the most diverse restaurant selection, followed by the coastal foodie havens of New York City and Seattle. As Escoffier Boulder president and provost Kirk Bachmann tells Food & Wine, a well-rounded dining scene can spell success for the entire community.
“Culinary diversity isn’t just good for diners — it’s an economic engine,” Bachmann says. “From job creation to tourism to community identity, a city’s food scene can help newcomers find opportunity, give locals something to rally around, and offer visitors a reason to come back for more.”
To compile this ranking, Escoffier’s team of researchers analyzed the offerings of restaurants in 38 of the largest cities in the country, defined as those with more than 500,000 residents according to the 2020 census.
The researchers considered the cultural offerings of each city’s restaurants (outlined by 46 unique cuisines, such as “Italian” or “Puerto Rican” cuisine) and scored each city using the Shannon Diversity Index. They then compared these scores against the overall population and geographical density. Each locale received a score out of 100 and a corresponding ranking on the list.
Let’s dig into those top dining destinations.
Coastal cities snagged the top spots
If you would have pegged New York City as the most diverse dining scene, you’d be wrong — at least, according to this study. San Francisco, which offers a bustling variety of cuisines, secured the top spot. It also boasts the densest selection of restaurants per capita of any major city (another plus for those vacation plans).
Otherwise, seven of the top 10 cities were coastal. Escoffier cites research that metropolises on either coast are typically more diverse, which sometimes correlates with a more robust selection of restaurants.
| America’s 38 Largest Cities, Ranked by Diversity of Food Scene | ||
|---|---|---|
| RANK | CITY | SCORE |
| 1 | San Francisco | 100.00 |
| 2 | New York | 92.58 |
| 3 | Seattle | 91.69 |
| 4 | Washington, D.C. | 83.08 |
| 5 | Los Angeles | 82.62 |
| 6 | San Jose | 82.43 |
| 7 | Portland, OR | 81.62 |
| 8 | Chicago | 77.77 |
| 9 | Las Vegas | 76.66 |
| 10 | Boston | 76.36 |
| 11 | Philadelphia | 75.91 |
| 12 | San Diego | 68.28 |
| 13 | Sacramento | 67.65 |
| 14 | Baltimore | 67.43 |
| 15 | Austin | 63.78 |
One Washington state city made the top three
Farther up the West Coast, Seattle offers a remarkably vibrant selection of restaurants for its more than 755,000 residents. While the coastal city is known for its top-notch seafood and as the birthplace of America’s largest coffee chain, it also hosts a wide variety of dining options. You don’t have to tell us twice — for last year’s Global Tastemakers, Food & Wine recognized this “underdog” city in the Pacific Northwest as one of the best for a bite.
Lower down on the list, nearby Portland received a score of 81.62 and a ranking of 7th on the list.
The cost of living and population diversity are important factors
Many of the cities in the top 10 have a high cost of living, “indicating that a diverse food scene may depend on the ability of residents to pay for it,” as the study explains. Escoffier gathered average cost of living data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to assess this correlation. Other factors, such as the city’s historical immigration trends, also play a role in the development of a global restaurant scene.
“While you might expect a city’s culinary diversity to mirror its population diversity, that wasn’t always the case in our analysis,” Bachmann tells Food & Wine. “In fact, cities like Seattle and Portland outpaced much larger and more diverse metros — reminding us that a thriving food scene depends on much more than demographics alone.”
Sounds like there are a few more destinations to add to your travel wishlist.
Source link
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Eagle-Rare-12-FT-BLOG0625-01-53d8288dacf34fa892bb7a2b84feac77.jpg "Buffalo Trace Releases Eagle Rare 12 as Part of Its Permanent Lineup")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Phil-Rosenthals-Tips-For-Picking-A-Restaurant-Wherever-You-Go-FT-BLOG0625-29a7d4be438e4e8cbc0c1de2e5bcf834.jpg "How Phil Rosenthal Finds Great Food While Traveling")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Painkiller-FT-RECIPE0625-c76a5a28ea4045d5865953d448617e40.jpg "Painkiller Cocktail Recipe")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Microplastics-in-soda-bottles-FT-BLOG0625-7c272849d51140b583da147e33d59ac6.jpg "Plastic Soda Bottles May Release Microplastics Into Your Drink, Study Finds")