When Caracol opened in late December 2013, the crowds came, not just in support of the beloved duo of chef Hugo Ortega and restaurateur Tracy Vaught but because the space was amazing and offered food to match. From the get-go, Caracol operated like a well-oiled machine. Signature dishes, like the wood-grilled oysters topped with chipotle butter, quickly emerged. In fact, pretty much everything coming out of the kitchen was superb: tuna tacos in which the fish was cooked to mimic carnitas; shrimp aguachile served atop a bed of beautifully arranged cucumber; whole grilled fish; and the namesake ceviche de caracol (conch), so fresh it tasted of the ocean. Drinks, overseen by veteran beverage director Sean Beck, complemented the cuisine perfectly, from that lesser known glass of Italian Vermentino to creative cocktails made with mezcal or tequila. And the sweets were automatic winners, with wonders like the much-Instagrammed El Coco, a coconut dessert encased in a hollow round chocolate shell that you got to crack open with a wooden hammer. From the food to the drinks and the ambience to the service, Caracol had it all from the start — a recipe for success and the reason it merits the title of Best New Restaurant of 2014.