New Restaurants San Diego Little Italy

Eater’s restaurant editor/critic Bill Addison has released his second annual list of the Best New Restaurants in America, compiled after a year of traveling and eating while reporting on the country's dining culture and researching Eater's National 38, a roll call of America's most essential restaurants.

To put together this top list, Addison made anonymous visits to buzzy new restaurants across the country that opened between May 2015 and May 2016; among them was San Diego's own Bracero, which is just coming off a banner first year.

The Little Italy restaurant has more cause for celebration today, as Bracero is one of the 21 restaurants included in Eater's Best New Restaurants in America 2016. Earlier this year, Addison ate at chef Javier Plascencia-led projects on both sides of the border, and in a feature published in March declared that "Bracero easily qualifies as one of the best restaurants in the country to open in 2015".

When reached for comment about Bracero's inclusion on his list, Addison shared, "I love the different ways you can approach Bracero. At face value, it’s a stunning restaurant serving true-minded, beautifully crafted versions of Mexican dishes. But, then, if you know the scope of Javier Plascencia’s career, the menu becomes an easter egg hunt of ingredient pairings and classics that point to the Tijuana restaurants run by him and his family. The sopes with bone marrow, for example, is a shout-out to arguably the best thing on the menu at the famous Caesar’s Restaurant and Bar (run by Grupo Plascencia) on Avenida Revolución. (The eponymous salad is better Bracero than it is at Caesar's!)"