Chef Andrew Zimmern's favourite US restaurants

The celebrity chef has eaten it all, in every country. Here are his most memorable US dining experiences, from pizza at L&B Spumoni Gardens to cebiche at La Mar.

In a nation of immigrants, America's food scene is often inspired by culinary traditions from around the world, with each region in the country drawing from a variety of international influences. Depending on what state you're in, a "quintessential American meal" might refer to Cajun soul food, a Philadelphia cheese steak or something as simple as New York City's $1 slice of pizza. And yet, fast food tends to dominate the global imagination of American cuisine. But here in the United States, conversations about culinary excellence are increasingly revolving around quality, sustainability and diversity.

Andrew Zimmern, perhaps best known as the host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, has spent the last 20 years travelling the world in search of unique dining experiences. But between munching on insects and intestines in the far-flung corners of the globe, Zimmern has also dined in many of the world’s finest restaurants. These days, it takes a lot to wow this culinary expert, though his criteria for a standout restaurant experience are fairly simple.

"First of all, it has to taste great. Second of all, it has to be sustainable and regenerative. If it's not sustainable and regenerative, why bother doing it">window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'alternating-thumbnails-a', container: 'taboola-below-article', placement: 'Below Article', target_type: 'mix' });