In our April 19 issue, Style Weekly’s food critics, Don Baker, Joseph W. Cates and B.P. Fox, present their State of the Plate 2006.

It’s not always easy for critics to agree, but ours managed to reach consensus on their list of Richmond’s 50 best restaurants. They also agonized over the task of picking their dozen favorite dishes in town. Then we threw them a question that invariably gets posed to the opinionated: What’s the ideal dining experience in Richmond right now?

Find out, along with insight into Richmond’s “edible underworld,” a chef’s dream kitchen, and a restaurant design that is truly innovative.