A list, according to The Times’s co-chief restaurant critic Ligaya Mishan, can be a way “to make sense of chaos” and to also “destabilize the current order.”
Her list of “the 100 Best Restaurants in New York City in 2026” takes that spirit to heart. A taco truck in Queens (Birria-Landia) serving $5 consommé sits alongside a Caribbean fine dining spot in Manhattan (Kabawa) with a $145 tasting menu. Ligaya makes a compelling argument that imaginative, ambitious, delicious food can be found at every price point and in every corner of this city.
On today’s episode, Wesley talks with Ligaya about how she put together such an expansive and inclusive list. They dig into a few of her greatest meals, wrestle with some readers’ discomfort with having casual spots ranked next to fine dining restaurants and, most of all, celebrate the culinary wonder that is New York City.
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Credits
Cannonball is hosted by Wesley Morris and produced by John White and Janelle Anderson. . The show is edited by Austin Mitchell. The show is engineered by Efim Shapiro and recorded by Maddy Masiello, Kyle Grandillo and Samantha Winter. It features original music by Dan Powell and Diane Wong. Our theme music is by Justin Ellington.
Our video team is Brooke Minters and Felice Leon. This episode was edited by Amy Marino and Jeremy Rocklin. It was filmed by Daniele Sarti and Jadzia Erskine. Special thanks to Paula Szuchman and Sam Dolnick.