OpenTable's Top 10 Restaurants in the Nation

— -- intro: From farm-to-table practices to the rise of foodie cities, it has been a big year for fine dining. In addition to the Top 100 Best Restaurants in America, OpenTable has compiled its Top 10 restaurants in the nation, based on verified diner reviews.

quicklist: 1title: #10: Highlands Bar and Grill Birmingham, Alabamatext: The family-owned Highlands Bar and Grill serves up farm-to-table French/Southern cuisine to up to 124 guests. Founded in 1982, the restaurant offers seasonal dishes, oysters, a cheese plate, house-made tonic, an extensive wine list, and signature cocktails. Like most of the top 10 mentions, Highlands is a dinner-only establishment.

“One of the things we’re noticing in the top 10 is eight of the restaurants only serve dinner,” said OpenTable’s chief dining officer Caroline Potter. "This is an indication that they’re not trying to do it all. They’re going more for creating a new experience for diners.”

media: 27669353

quicklist: 2title: #9: The French Room Dallas, Texastext: Headed by executive chef Marcos Segovia, The French Room sits in a landmark hotel dating from 1912. Up to 80 guests can enjoy fine dining with prix-fixe and tasting menus, a cheese course and wine pairings.media: 27669500

quicklist: 3title: #8: Kai Chandler, Arizonatext: Located at a resort, Kai offers tasting and a la carte menus for up to 60 guests. Serving Southern global cuisine, the restaurant is known for its fine dining experience. Dress code is business casual, but no mobile phones are allowed inside the dining room. media: 27669162

quicklist: 4title: #7: Twenty-Eight Atlantic at Wequassett Resort East Harwich, Massachusettstext: Coming in at number seven is Twenty-Eight Atlantic in East Harwich, Massachusetts. Located at Wequassett Resort, guests can enjoy seafood and American cuisine while taking in views of Pleasant Bay. Seating 40, the restaurant serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Private rooms are available.

“Half of the restaurants are associated with a resort,” Potter said. “These are people who are creating hospitality. Not only are you eating great food, but you are standing on these beautiful grounds. We think that helps in terms of reviews.”media: 27667256

quicklist: 5title: #6: Ski Tip Lodge Keystone, Coloradotext: The Ski Tip Lodge in Colorado offers a fine dining experience through American cuisine. Guests can enjoy a 4-course meal, a gluten-free menu and a full bar.media: 27668678

quicklist: 6title: #5: St. Francis Winery & Vineyards Santa Rosa, Californiatext: For a casual dining experience guests can stay for lunch or dinner at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards. Chef Bryan Jones serves up Californian-style, farm-to-table dishes. “A lot of these restaurants have a kitchen garden, or even their own farms onsite,” Potter said.

Patrons can experience outdoor dining on the patio and wine pairings. media: 27668633

quicklist: 7title: #4: n/naka Los Angeles, Californiatext: With just nine tables in its dining room, n/naka features seasonal tasting menus of Japanese kaiseki cuisine. Chef Niki Nakayama also serves vegetarian tasting menus with pairings. Ingredients derive from an organic garden. media: 27669013

quicklist: 8title: #3: Fearrington House Pittsboro, North Carolinatext: Fearrington House has been serving up contemporary American dishes with its notable tasting menu since 1980. “Half of the restaurants are more than 20 years old,” Potter said. “We think that’s a really encouraging trend that these restaurants are going incredibly strong at top.”

With 25 tables in a farmhouse, the restaurant also has an inn and a distinguished wine cellar. media: 27669731

quicklist: 9title: #2: Sushi Nakazawa New York, New Yorktext: Sushi Nakazawa offers an extensive sushi menu with ingredients sources both locally and internationally. The restaurant seats 25 and serves up menus of high-end sake and wine selections. media: 27668432

quicklist: 10title: #1: SeaBlue Restaurant & Wine Bar North Myrtle Beach, North Carolinatext: Voted number one and known for its casual elegance, SeaBlue Restaurant & Wine Bar puts out contemporary American dishes like seafood and steaks. Guests can order small plates or a 6-course tasting menu starting at $70.media: 27668858