As part of Seattle Met’s Best Restaurants feature, we asked dozens of Seattle chefs and restaurateurs to give us their take on trends, customers, competition—pretty much everything under the restaurant sun. What we got was an earful of juicy insider insight. We’ll be posting some of the responses in the coming weeks.

It’s not often chefs hang up their aprons. But when opportunity knocks, where do they head for a meal?

Most said Sitka and Spruce and Revel, followed by Madison Park sushi staple Nishino. Delancey and La Carta de Oaxaca took the number three spots. Other notable mentions: Sea Garden, Shiro’s, Monsoon, Luc, Kisaku, and Serious Pie.

When they’re craving pizza, Delancey is the go-to. Best sandwich joint? Paseo. “I can’t ever say no to Paseo,” confessed one, while another lamented, “I wish they sold beer. Their sandwiches cry out for beer.”