Amazon.com description: Product Description: WHERE THE LOCALS EAT:( A GUIDE TO THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA, answers the perpetual question What's for dinner? The most comprehensive and reliable restaurant guide on the market, WHERE THE LOCALS EAT conatins recommendations for more than 20,000 restaurants in more than 1,000 American cities. The restaurants included in the guide were named as the best in local newspaper and magazine readers' polls, by local restaurant critics and editors, and by local business and professional people and field reviewers. None of the restaurants in WHERE THE LOCALS EAT paid to be included.

Magellan's researchers gathered information on seventy-five different categories of restaurants -- restaurants known for everything from their barbecue or vegetarian menu or wine list to their "child-friendly" atmosphere. Few cities can boast seventy-five varieties of restaurants -- not every city offers sushi or Spanish cuisine or twenty-four hour dining -- but the listings for many larger cities are extensive. And in most cities, there is more than one "best" restaurant listed for many categories. This is reflective of Magellan's research; if their sources named several "best" Italian restaurants, so did they. Each restaurant listing contains the name, telephone number, and street address of the recommended restaurant. For other information about a restaurant, such as its hours of operation or whether it requires reservations, the Magellan editors suggest phoning the restaurant. The identity of research sources is closely guarded. Lee Wilson will say only that the directory includes restaurants named as the best in town in local newspaper and magazine polls, by local restaurant critics and editors, and by local business and professional people. However, Magellan will accept nominations for the next edition of the directory from anyone who is not affiliated with the restaurant nominated; nominations can be made on the form in the back of the book or on the WHERE THE LOCALS EAT web site, at www.magellanpress.com.