It's a big country with food that's getting better all the time, so coming up with the best restaurants in America could be a daunting task. We tackled it by asking the food critics in 10 cities their favorites. Prices listed are for dinner.

Hordes will flock to Atlanta for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Christiane Lauterbach, the dining critic for Atlanta Magazine, suggests some of the finer places to dine.

Brasserie Le Coze

3393 Peachtree Rd., Lenox Square Mall; 404-266-1440

French Bistro; Entrees $10 to $20

Best French restaurant in town; authentic, unpretentious food.

Buckhead Diner

3073 Piedmont Rd.; 404-266-1440

American; Entrees $7.50 to $17.50

The glamour spot of the Big Peach, creative American cuisine coupled with visiting celebrities such as Elton John.

The Dining Room

3434 Peachtree Rd. NE,; 404-237-2700

Creative continental; Prix fixe, $56, $80 w/ wine.

The best restaurant in Atlanta; renowned chef Gunter Seeger creates daring and fresh seasonal cuisine.

Flying Biscuit Cafe

1655 McClendon Ave. at Clifton Rd.; 404-687-8888

Southern-reg.; Entrees $5.95 to $12.95

The best breakfast, available all day, great biscuits, vegetarian specialties, and full-scale dishes as well.

The Horseradish Grill

4320 Powers Ferry Rd.; 404-255-7277

Southern-reg.; Entrees $8.95 to $18.95

Traditional southern cooking translated for the modern world.

Mat Schaffer, the restaurant critic for Boston Magazine, makes his picks.

Grill 23 & Bar

161 Berkeley St.; 617-542-2255

American; Entrees $18 to $28

Try the prime sirloin; it's aged 21 days and grilled to taste.

Carl's Pagoda

23 Tyler St.; 617-357-9837

Chinese; Entrees $4.75 to $17.95

Asking for the menu at this hole-in-the-wall Cantonese restaurant brands you a neophyte so remember: tomato soup, clams in black bean sauce, fried oysters, whole steamed fish, ginger lobster, chicken and broccoli, Carl's special steak, scrambled eggs and shrimp, Chinese sausage and broccoli, and pork lo mein with Carl's rice.

East Coast Grill

1271 Cambridge St., Cambridge; 617-491-6568

American; Entrees $11.75 to $18.25

Aggressively seasoned meats, poultry, seafood cooked over wood. Served in a crowded, noisy, fun atmosphere.

Hamersley's Bistro

553 Tremont St.; 617-423-2700

French Provencale; Entrees $19 to $28

Simple, sophisticated, honest, delicious food; the cassoulet and seafood will transport you to Provence.

Rowes Wharf Restaurant

70 Rowes Wharf; 617-439-3995

New England; Entrees $18 to $35

Exceptional cuisine well worth the price; try the house-cured maple-smoked Atlanta salmon.

Phil Vitell, the restaurant critic for the Chicago Tribune, names his top picks.

Aruns

4156 N. Kedzie Ave.; 312-539-1909

Thai; Entrees $13.95 to $23.95

A beautiful dining room with museum-quality art is combined with culinary excellence.

Everest

440 South La Salle St.; 312-663-8920

French; Entrees $28 to $32

Located on the 40th floor of a building. Try the pork cheeks with lentils.

Topolobampo Frontera Grill

445 N. Clark St.; 312-661-1434

Mexican; Entrees $14 to $21, Grill, $8 to $17

Two restaurants in one space, Topolobampo is a smaller, more upscale dining room, while Frontera is more crowded and casual. Both offer unsurpassed regional Mexican food.

Trio

1625 Hinman Ave., Evanston; 708-733-8746

Fusion-American; Entrees $23 to $38

Brilliant cross-cultural cuisine served in dazzlingly artistic presentations often including slabs of granite or marble.

Vivere

71 W. Munroe; 312-332-4040

Italian; Entrees $16 to $22

Light, stylishly presented, contemporary Italian food.

Dallas Morning News lifestyles editor Dotty Griffith's favorites are less upscale than the renowned Mansion at Turtle Creek, and a little more off the beaten path.

City Cafe

5757 W. Lovers Lane; 214-351-2233

Regional American; Entrees $13 to $19.

Seasonally based, creative food with a menu that changes every two weeks.

Matt's Rancho Martinez

Lakewood Plaza 6312 La Vista Dr.; 214-823-5517

Tex-Mex; Entrees $7.25 to $15.75

Stupendous chiles rellenos.

The Palm Restaurant

701 Ross Ave. at Market; 214-698-0470

American; Entrees $14 to $25

Steaks, lobsters, and the beautiful people crowd.

Star Canyon

3102 Oaklawn Ave, Suite 144; 214-520-7827

New Texas; Entrees $14 to $23

Sophisticated food with Texas roots. Favorite dish: chilled shrimp and jicama soup with fresh buttermilk and basil.

Sonny Bryan's

2202 Inwood Rd.; 214-357-7120

Traditional Bar-B-Q; $5 to $12

Ribs and brisket so good that people often stop in on their way to the airport.

Irene Virbila, the restaurant editor for the Los Angeles Times, made picks that varied as much in style as they did in price--from under $10 all the way up to $300.

The Bar Bistro at Citrus

6703 Melrose Ave.; 213-857-0034

French; Entrees $9.50 to $17.50

French comfort food from the same kitchen as Michel Richard's French-California flagship, Citrus.

Campanile

624 S. La Brea Blvd.; 213-938-1447

California-Mediterranean; Entrees $15 to $26

Great breakfasts and lunches. At dinner try the flattened grilled chicken with parsley salad or the bistecca fiorentina.

Chinois on Main

2709 Main St., Santa Monica; 310-329-9025

East-West fusion; Entrees $19 to $29

Wolfgang Puck's--the creator of L.A. restaurant/institution, Spago--best restaurant yet.

Ginza Sushi-Ko

218 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills 90210; 310-247-8939

Japanese; Entrees $200 to $300

The most expensive restaurant in Los Angeles, this exquisite little sushi bar has the fish flown in daily from Japan.

Valentino

3115 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica; 310-829-4313

Italian; Entrees $18 to $25

Possibly the best Northern Italian restaurant in North America. Instead of ordering from the menu, ask chef Piero Selvaggio to prepare a series of small courses.

Not just for grandparents anymore, Miami these days is hot, filled with celebrities, models, and great restaurants. Geoffrey Tomb, a restaurant critic at the Miami Herald, surveys the scene.

Chef Allen's Restaurant

19088 N.E. 29th Ave.,; 305-935-2900

Fusion-American; Entrees $22.95 to $29.95

Don't miss the 16-ounce veal chop with double mustard sauce, wild-mushroom risotto, and ginger-flavored calabaza.

Didiers

2530 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables; 305-567-2444

Neo-French; Entrees $14.75 to $23.95

Lush, earthy combinations such as essence of farm cream in lentils with poached salmon.

Le Sandwicherie

229 14th St.; 305-532-8934

Casual fare; Entrees $5 to $10

Open till 5 a.m. on weekends, this sidewalk joint is as likely to serve people in tuxedoes as cab drivers.

Osteria del Teatro

1443 Washington Ave.; 305-538-7850

Italian; $14 to $24

Excellent Italian food and maybe the best restaurant in town. Emphasis is on seafood.

The Raleigh Restaurant

1775 Collins Ave.; 305-534-1775

Creative American; Entrees $9 to $19

A 1940s gem; the ghost of Esther Williams lives here. Sit outside and order the warm goat cheeseDpotato cakes.

Five restaurants, impossible! That was Florence Fabricant, a food and restaurant columnist for the New York Times, who couldn't get her list down to five. We let her cheat a little.

Cité

120 W. 51st St.; 212-956-7100

Fusion French; Entrees $19.50 to $26.50

The food here reflects chef Claude Proistros's great French heritage intertwined with the vibrancy of his 10 years in Brazil--all in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

Gotham Bar and Grill

12 E. 12th St.; 212-620-4020

American; Entrees $10 to $32

The finesse of Alfred Portale's food arranged in breathtaking pinnacles matches the celebratory, high-ceilinged space in which it is so deftly served.

Le Bernadin

155 W. 51st St.; 212-489-1515

French; Entrees $68

Sublime seafood. Two greats: Winey sea bass with mashed potatoes or silken roast cod.

Le Cirque

58 E. 65th St.; 212-794-9292

French; Entrees $22 to $32

A wondrous restaurant, tiny copper casseroles with exotic mushrooms, a simple bouquet of vegetables bathed in olive oil, and heady lobster risotto.

Nobu

105 Hudson St.; 212-219-0500

Fusion; Dinner $45 to $50

The most inventively delicious food in town: Deep-fried kelp adorns roasted lobster nuggets or caviar on seared tuna.

Remi

145 W. 53rd St.; 212-581-4242

Italian; Entrees $15 to $28

Francesco Antonnuci unerringly commands pasta, risotto, foie gras, anchovies, duck, salmon, and zabaglione.

The challenge of good eating in San Francisco is the transient nature of restaurants there, says Michael Bauer, the restaurant critic at the San Francisco Chronicle. His picks:

The French Laundry

6040 Washington St., Yountville; 707-944-2380

French; Prix Fixe $49

The $49 menu includes five courses all reminiscient of a three-star country restaurant in France.

Fringale

570 Fourth St. at Bryant; 415-543-0573

French; Entrees $10 to $15

The best casual French restaurant in San Francisco; don't miss the mussels flecked with parsley and fried garlic.

Masas

648 Bush St.; 415-989-7154

French; Prix Fixe $68 to $75

A great special-occasion restaurant with a four- to six-course classic French menu.

Yank Sing

427 Battery St.; 415-781-1111

Chinese; Entrees $10 to $15

Unparalleled dim sum, minced squab in crunchy lettuce cups, and Peking duck with sweet, doughy buns.

Zuni Cafe

1658 Market; 415-552-2522

American; Entrees $10 to $28

Great people-watching and casual food. Signature dishes: chicken with bread salad and hamburger on foccacia.

Tom Sietsema, the food and restaurant critic for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, defines his favorite restaurants by the ones he returns to over and over again. Five of his regulars:

Cafe Campagne

1600 Post Alley; 206-728-2233

French; Entrees $6.95 to $14.95

A fantastic, gourmet meal-to-go place with a tiny bar serving samplings of upscale wine and appetizers.

Lampreia

2400 First Ave.; 206-443-3301

American; Entrees $19 to $22

A luxurious and seasonal menu; opt for the cheese course after dinner, which includes handcrafted local samples.

Macrina Bakery

2408 First Ave.; 206-448-4032

American; Entrees $8 to $20

The bakery is well known for its rustic loaves and European coffee cakes, but the witty little cafe adjoining the bakery also turns out excellent lunches and dinners.

Pirosmani

2220 Queen Ann Ave.; 206-285-3360

Georgian; Entrees $16-$22

Inspired food from the Republic of Georgia, which also embraces the sunny flavors of the Mediterranean.

The Herb Farm

32804 Southeast IssaquahDFall City Rd., Fall City; 206-784-2222

Regional; Prix Fixe $115

An extraordinary restaurant 30 minutes east of Seattle. The prix fixe price includes nine herb-infused courses.

Phyllis Richman, the food critic for the Washington Post, recommends:

Galileo

1110 21st St., NW; 202-293-7191

Italian; Entrees $18 to $28

Chef Roberto Donna's pappardelle and risotto with first-of-the-season alba truffles are famous.

Inn at Little Washington

Middle & Main St., Washington, Va.; 703-675-3800

New American; Full course $78 to $98

Self-taught American chef Patrick O`Connell coaxes wonders out of local ingredients such as Virginia ham, Chesapeake Bay crabs, berries, and herbs. A bit of a drive from the District.

Jean-Louis at the Watergate

2650 Virginia Ave., NW; 202-298-4488

French; Full course $45 to $95

Fans know to make sure that Jean-Louis will be in town when they make a reservation.

Kinkead's

2000 Pennsylvannia Ave., NW; 202-296-7700

American; Entrees $14.50 to $24

Regional seafood shines here in an informal and energetic atmosphere.

Obelisk

2029 P St., NW; 202-872-1180

Italian; Prix Fixe $38

A tiny restaurant that personifies Italian simplicity--excellent wine and grappa.

We've started a library of "Living Footnotes" for this section, and welcome your suggestions and your URLs to make it more useful. Use our customized Lycos search to linkthink your way around the web, or feel free to consult the experts about the above topic.

Living Footnotes

• Epicurious: The Essential Restaurant Guide: Washington DC - Reviews by award-winning food journalist Phyllis Richman
• OBS Guest: Phyllis Richman