Washington DC, 5 VA Cities Named Top Foodie Hotspots

WASHINGTON, DC — Diners in Washington, D.C., expect to pay steep prices in many restaurants, but they also know they can find cutting edge food trends and dishes dreamed up by nationally renowned chefs. One metro eatery even earned three Michelin stars this year, a first for the region. It's not surprising, then, that the nation's capital was named one of the nation's best foodie cities in a recent WalletHub ranking.

The personal finance website ranked 182 U.S. cities on 29 factors of "foodie-friendliness," from the cost of groceries to restaurant diversity.

Washington came in at No. 15 in the nation, while five Virginia cities also made the list. Richmond ranked No. 23 on the list, followed by Virginia Beach at No. 97, Chesapeake was No. 145, Newport News was No. 147, and Norfolk placed at No. 156. Nearby Baltimore came in at No. 45.

Patrick O'Connell's The Inn at Little Washington earned three stars from Michelin —the best a restaurant can get — after having two the previous two years. The Inn, a five-star hotel and upscale restaurant, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with various events. "This is a wonderful distinction for The Inn at Little Washington, which celebrated its 40th anniversary earlier this year, said Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin Guide, in a statement. "Over several visits, our inspectors were most impressed by the balance of creative, chef-driven cuisine and impeccable technique from chef O'Connell."

The coveted top spot went to Portland, Oregon. Voracious diners might as well stay away from Pearl City, Hawaii, which came in dead last in WalletHub's ranking.

Here's the full list of the nation's top 10 best foodie cities, according to WalletHub. Check out the full study here.

Top 10: Best Foodie Cities In The U.S.

1. Portland, Oregon
2. San Francisco, California
3. Miami, Florida
4. New York, New York
5. Los Angeles California
6. Orlando, Florida
7. Las Vegas, Nevada
8. Seattle, Washington
9. San Diego, California
10. Austin, Texas

SEE ALSO:

• Eatery Named A 2018 Best Southern Restaurant
  
• Virginia's Best Food and Drink For 2018: Popular Website
  
• Best Restaurants For Wine 2018: VA, DC Have 132 Award Winners
  
• This Is Virginia's Top-Rated Burger Restaurant: TripAdvisor
• Here Is Virginia's Best Burger
• DC/Virginia Burger Joint Named One Of The Best In The Country
• Contest Results: The Best Burger In Virginia According To Readers

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

Photo via Shutterstock