High-end openings show better times to come; nearly one quarter of surveyors report men are treated better than women at restaurants; diners diss lingering, texting and tweeting at the table.

The survey includes ratings and reviews of the 1,552 top restaurants country-wide. Results are available on ZAGAT.com, via Zagat's suite of mobile products and in bookstores.

Codes of Conduct: As more and more restaurants and public spaces offer free Wi-Fi to customers, 60% of surveyors feel restaurants should restrict how long you can linger at a table during peak hours. When asked about texting, tweeting and talking at the table, 63% of surveyors say it's rude and inappropriate, but 85% feel it's acceptable to take pictures of food and each other. The battle of the sexes dies hard – 24% of surveyors say men receive better treatment when dining out vs. only 6% who say women.

Sign of the Times: As expected during these tough economic times, surveyors report eating out less (3.1 times per week down from 3.3 pre-recession), being more attentive to prices (39%), eating in less expensive places (33%) and cutting back on alcohol, appetizers and desserts (17–21%). On a more positive note, 55% of respondents feel they're getting better deals via prix fixe meals and other discounts, 41% suspect their patronage is more appreciated and 33% say that reservations are easier to come by.

As expected during these tough economic times, surveyors report eating out less (3.1 times per week down from 3.3 pre-recession), being more attentive to prices (39%), eating in less expensive places (33%) and cutting back on alcohol, appetizers and desserts (17âˆ'21%). On a more positive note, 55% of respondents feel they're getting better deals via prix fixe meals and other discounts, 41% suspect their patronage is more appreciated and 33% say that reservations are easier to come by.

Dollars and Sense: The national average price of a meal rose 2.2% in the past year to $35.37. New Orleans has the lowest average meal cost ($28.36), and the highest average percent tip at 19.7% (vs. the national average of 19.2%). Other high-end tippers include Denver, Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Ohio, all at 19.6%. Honolulu is at the low-end (18.4%), followed by such western cities, Sacramento, San Francisco and Seattle, each at 18.6%. When it comes to paying the check, 50% of surveyors either avoid cash-only eateries or spend less when dining there.

Back to the Big Time: In the last few years, many major restaurateurs and chefs bowed to the economic times and opened casual, affordable eateries. This year, there was a return to pricey form, signaling that high-end dining is far from dead. Among the many upscale newcomers from culinary luminaries: Simon Prime Steaks & Martinis (Kerry Simon) in Atlantic City; Uchiko (Tyson Cole) in Austin; BLT Steak (Laurent Tourondel) in Honolulu; Bistro Alex (Alex Brennan) and Valentino (Piero Selvaggio) in Houston; Sage (Shawn McClain) in Las Vegas; Bouchon (Thomas Keller) and WP24 (Wolfgang Puck) in Los Angeles; Eos (Donatella Arpaia) in Miami; ABC Kitchen and The Mark (both Jean-Georges Vongerichten) in New York; Spruce (Mark Sullivan) in the Salt Lake City area; and Benu (Corey Lee), Frances (Melissa Perello), Morimoto Napa (Masaharu Morimoto), RN74 (Michael Mina) and Wayfare Tavern (Tyler Florence) in San Francisco.

Top Irritants: A handful of restaurants have earned a near-perfect 29 for Service on Zagat's 30-point scale, including French Room (Dallas/Ft. Worth), Inn at Little Washington (DC), Nicholas (New Jersey), Per Se (New York) and Sanford (Milwaukee). However, 67% of surveyors nationwide report that Service is their No. 1 dining-out irritant. Service woes are followed by noise/crowding in restaurants (14%). When seated next to a noisy party, 34% ask to be moved, 9% ask management to talk to the noisemakers, 4% address the party themselves and 53% simply sit and suffer in silence.

Making the Grade: Similar to a Los Angeles system that's been in place for years, NYC restaurants, in a highly contentious move, have now been required to prominently post their grades (A, B or C) from their health-department inspections. Eighty percent of surveyors nationwide favor this practice.

Green: When it comes to healthy dining, 68% of surveyors say it is important that the food they eat is locally sourced, organic or sustainably raised, and 60% say they are even willing to pay more for it. Moreover, 31% seek out restaurants specializing in such 'green' cuisine.

Details: The 2011 America's Top Restaurants guide ($15.95) was edited by Bill Corsello and is on sale at all major bookstores. Ratings and reviews are available in a full range of formats: ZAGAT.com, ZAGAT TO GO for iPhone, iPad and smartphones, and ZAGAT.mobi (for web-enabled mobile devices). For information on Zagat's mobile products, please visit www.zagat.com/mobile. Be sure to follow Zagat on Facebook and Twitter @ZagatBuzz for daily news and updates.

About Zagat Survey, LLC
Known as the "wildly popular" "burgundy bible", Zagat Survey is the world's most trusted source for consumer-generated survey information. With a worldwide network of nearly 400,000 surveyors, Zagat rates and reviews restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, shopping and a range of other entertainment categories and is lauded as the "most up-to-date", "comprehensive" and "reliable" guide, published on all platforms. Zagat content is available to consumers wherever and whenever they need it: On ZAGAT.com, ZAGAT.mobi, ZAGAT TO GO for smartphones and in guidebooks.