Meg van Huygen

Explore the best of Seattle's restaurants, featuring DeLille En Ville, Cicchetti and Bin 47 + The Shed for a vibrant culinary scene.

A best dish is not the same thing as a best restaurant. They’re different prompts, you know? A best dish can be a fluke, the only dish you liked on the whole menu, but it lifted you out of a shitty dining experience. It can be the greatest thing on a menu full of total bangers. It can also be an introduction to a new restaurant—a reason to put a pin in it and come back for more recon. Often, the rest of the album is great, too, although not always. Sometimes it’s just an emotion or a vibe that makes a best dish. The people you're eating with, or the people who served it to you. The song that was playing. Maybe the dish wouldn’t be as nice if it weren’t pouring outside.

With Rye, Calvados, Amaro, Espelette, and a Touch of Apricot, It’s a Luminous Treat

Discover exciting new spots to eat and drink in Seattle, featuring dishes like the traditional maqluba at Mr. Maqluba.

Seems like when I ask a chef their favorite Seattle restaurant, half the time, they say Cafe Munir. Which isn’t to say it’s not a fave of local un-chefs too, but I get it. This place ticks all the foodie boxes: It’s in a little residential alcove within a larger neighborhood, it’s teeny-tiny, it has […]

Bad news, guys. I wasted three years of my life not going to Bar Bayonne when I could’ve been. I can never get them back. I can only start compensating today for the deleterious loss. At 14th and Jefferson, L’Oursin has been the kissy darling of Seattle’s food writers since opening in 2016, and I’d […]

MONDAY 6/1 Hard Covers & Bare Backs: An Erotic Novel Pop Up (FOOD) No Call No Show’s tagline is “Boozy popups for unpretentious foodies,” and when it comes to ridiculous concepts—and completely committing to the bit—this gang of veteran chefs and bartenders are not playing. On June 1, NCNS’s theme is erotica, and the party […]

Seattle's newest spots to eat, drink, and gather with friends. By Meg van Huygen June 9, 2026 This article originally appeared in the May/June 2026 issue of Seattle magazine.

This story originally appeared in The Stranger's 2026 Queer Issue. At the Northwest Cider Symposium back in March, I spotted someone on the vendor floor wearing a plush upholstered animal tail.

Discover Bloom Thai, Lakewood’s hidden gem for authentic fusion flavors. From pandemic pop-up to cozy permanent home, experience Chef Blue Numdee's viral dishes and legendary hospitality.