The Best New Restaurants of 2021

Plus: Our Restaurant of the Year. Also in this issue: Seattle's top 100 power players and where and how to ski this winter.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Tickets to Ride

A New Book Goes Deep on Ski Bums

Seattle writer Heather Hansman set out to chronicle the unique milieu of the American snow obsessive; what she found felt universal.

11/22/2021 By Allison Williams

On View

Packaged Black Bridges the Gap Between Inner and Outer Beauty

Barbara Earl Thomas and Derrick Adams collaborate on Packaged Black to tell stories of joy and pleasure.

10/26/2021 By Sophie Grossman

On Pointe

A New Pacific Northwest Ballet Stages Its Return

Live performance is back at McCaw Hall. But the company performing is different than the one that entered the pandemic.

09/23/2021 By Darren Davis

Eat & Drink

Best New Restaurants 2021

Communion: Our Restaurant of the Year

Chef Kristi Brown brings Seattle together—and expands its definition of soul food.

12/02/2021 By Allecia Vermillion Photography by Amber Fouts

Chefs’ Day Off

Rachel Yang’s Speedy Weeknight Hot Pot

When time is short and hunger runs high, the family behind Revel and Joule turns to boiling broth with plenty of dipping sauce.

10/29/2021 By Allecia Vermillion Photography by Amber Fouts

Hidden Gems

What Happened to Post Alley Pizza?

Slicing into the quiet reinvention of a Waterfront hole in the wall.

10/28/2021 By Allecia Vermillion Photography by Amber Fouts

Kiki Culture

Inside Passage Is Enchantment (and Cocktails) Under the Sea

Enter the sliding door to Rumba’s new sibling cocktail bar and find yourself in an underwater lair that gives tiki a Northwest do-over.

09/17/2021 By Allecia Vermillion

Essay

My Trial by Fire in Seattle’s Shockingly Understaffed Restaurants

Where have all the cooks—and servers and dishwashers and hosts—gone? You know they’re desperate when they hire a writer like me.

09/08/2021 By Allison Williams

Health & Wellness

Power Players

The Most Influential Scientists, Doctors, and Environmentalists in Seattle

Health and climate champions who do the most vital work.

12/08/2021 By Angela Cabotaje

Home & Real Estate

Habitat

Sundaes and Swear Words Star in a Madrona Home’s Colorful Art Collection

After a massive makeover, this midcentury home revels in rainbows.

11/29/2021 By Allecia Vermillion

Home Sweet Home

These 3 Buyers Survived Seattle’s Wild Real Estate Market

Here’s what it takes to close a deal.

11/02/2021 By Sarah Anne Lloyd Photography by Kyle Johnson

News & City Life

Joy to the World

Goodbye to My Jewish Christmas

Can I make peace with America’s yuletide obsession?

12/07/2021 By Emily Alhadeff Illustrations by Guang Lim

Group Chat

Why Are Women Leaving the Workforce?

A trio of occupational experts discuss what’s causing millions of women to exit their jobs.

11/23/2021 By Angela Cabotaje

Quote Unquote

Can Marc Dones Solve Seattle’s Homelessness Crisis?

The CEO of the new King County Regional Homelessness Authority knows there’s no silver bullet.

11/05/2021 By Allison Williams

Explainer

A Seattle Shipping Container's Choppy Journey through the Supply Chain

The Lego-like cargo in Seattle’s port endures quite the voyage to and from the Sound.

11/04/2021 By Benjamin Cassidy

Currents

The Fight to Preserve Pike Place Market Isn't Over

Fifty years after a vote saved Seattle’s famous heirloom, the commission that protects its character faces neglect from the city.

10/21/2021 By Benjamin Cassidy

Enclaves

The Curious Case of the British Telephone Booth in Madison Park

Why is there a vestige of London on a Seattle street?

10/07/2021 By Benjamin Cassidy

First Person, Last Word

How Skateboarding Shaped My Mind

My past still persists, changing how I view the city and the world.

09/24/2021 By Stefan Milne

Style & Shopping

Tickets to Ride

Seattle-Area Ski and Snowboard Shops

Where to gear up for a wild, snowy winter.

12/26/2024 By Allison Williams and Taylor McKenzie Gerlach

GIFT GUIDE

7 Classic Seattle Gifts

Give them something that says Seattle (without screaming it).

12/06/2022 By Zoe Sayler

Obsession

Dr. Martens and Blundstones Are Seattle’s Anti-Obsession

Our city’s longtime love affair with a pair of boot brands fits our sustainable psyche.

10/27/2021 By Sophie Grossman

LIFELONG LEARNER

We Needed This: Anna Learns Things Brightens Up the City

How a beading hobby that began with a pair of fruit-shaped earrings became a pandemic success story.

10/25/2021 By Zoe Sayler Photography by AJ Ragasa

Travel & Outdoors

Winter Report

Northwest Travel Winter 2021–22: Where to Go, What to Know

We're drinking and dancing our way through snow season.

11/23/2021 By Allison Williams

Tickets to Ride

Summit at Snoqualmie Is Seattle's Closest Ski Spot

Seattle’s hometown hill packs a lot of mountain into an easy drive.

11/22/2021 By Allison Williams

Tickets to Ride

Stevens Pass Ski Area Undergoes Epic Change This Year

The Highway 2 mountain has always been scrappy but significant. This year it’s also at a discount.

11/22/2021 By Allison Williams

Tickets to Ride

The Ikon Pass Goes Big at Crystal Mountain

Washington’s biggest resort raised prices and began charging for parking. But can Crystal hang in the big leagues?

11/22/2021 By Allison Williams

Tickets to Ride

The Indy Pass Is Basically a Skier’s Smorgasbord

In only its third year, an affordable pass option unlocks funky little ski hills around every bend.

11/22/2021 By Allison Williams

Canadian Feast

Authentic Mexican Fare Blossoms in Vancouver

Western Canada just might be the next Los Angeles when it comes to Latin flavors—and tongue-in-cheek museums.

11/09/2021 By Allison Williams

border bound

Canada's Greatest Chinese Food Is at the Mall

In Richmond, just south of Vancouver, authentic Chinese fare flourishes in the most casual of venues: the food court. Plus a new way to eat like a local and a sparkling new hotel.

11/09/2021 By Allison Williams

Canadian Feast

Vancouver Does Next-Level Italian Dining

Venetian small plates enliven the ground floor of an already swinging hotel.

11/09/2021 By Allison Williams