Our hospitality climate is nothing if not incredibly dynamic.

Buzz-worthy restaurants seem to flitter across our gustatory radar like ghosts in a dream, often instilling us with an I-need-to-share-this-with-my-loved-ones-before-it-becomes-a-madhouse rush, while occasionally leaving us reeling from a how-the-hell-did-that-place-flame-out-so-quickly? hangover.

Which is why we’d like to salute those extra special properties that have outperformed their peers during each successive awards season (kudos for your consecutive appearances leading into our fifth Best Restaurants roundup).

Meanwhile, those perplexed by the absence of the many dauntless newcomers who’ve leapt into the dining fray recently, just know that they, too, will have their day—REAL soon (read: March 2011).