Senior Writer

Seattle native Kathryn Robinson, award-winning restaurant critic and senior writer at Seattle Met, has been anonymously reviewing restaurants for over 30 years—first as editor of the Best Places guidebook series, then as staff critic at Seattle Weekly and contributing critic at The Seattle Times and Seattle magazine.

Midcareer she spent a year-long sabbatical studying comparative religion as a Knight Fellow at Stanford University where she had been an undergrad 10 years earlier, gaining a knowledge base she now calls upon for her monthly “Back Fence” column on our collective urban existence and the meaning it holds for our personal lives. In her off hours she is a partner and a parent—which means she has no off hours.

Critic's Notebook

How Groundbreaking Is Tray Kitchen?

A few thoughts on small plate dining and some of Seattle’s purveyors

03/12/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Back Fence

Meet the McClearys

The person behind the most stunning lawsuit in Washington state history may not be who you expect.

03/11/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

Who Are Seattle's Next Hot Chefs?

Operators are standing by.

03/09/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Review

Tray Kitchen: Dim Sum from the Farm

This new concept isn’t so new after all.

03/09/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

Portland Beats Seattle in Restaurants Per Capita, Dammit

But not by much. And check out San Francisco! (And what’s up with Juneau?)

03/05/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

If You Could Eat Your Way Through Columbia City, Which 3 Restaurants Would You Choose?

Not an easy call in that neighborhood

03/02/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Review

Single Shot on Capitol Hill: A Shot of Style

This new watering hole is the hottest ticket in town.

03/02/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

What Boat Street’s Closure Says About Us

And how Stratton’s departure and Shanik’s closure may relate

02/26/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

The 10 Most Persistent Beliefs About Seattle Dining

Which are true, which are not

02/23/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

What’s the Single Best Brunch Dish in Town?

And other burning questions answered in our February brunch issue

02/19/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Awaiting Tables

A Guide to Brunch Wait Times in Seattle

We braved the busiest weekend brunch spots during prime time.

02/16/2015 By Kathryn Robinson and Darren Davis

Feature

Seattle's Best Brunches

It might be the only good decision you’ll make all weekend. Here’s where to eat.

02/16/2015 By Kathryn Robinson and Allecia Vermillion

Critic's Notebook

Restaurants Pay to Get Reviewed, Right?

And other myths about how we roll here in the restaurant critic department.

02/12/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

What Does Vespolina Have that Aragona Didn’t?

And why high-end restaurants changing up names and formats has become the hottest move in town.

02/09/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Back Fence

Processing White Privilege in Seattle

Turns out I have the tools I need to process my white privilege. I just didn’t expect them to look like this.

02/09/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Review

Vespolina and Hommage: Restaurant Do-Overs

What happens when big-ticket restaurants assume new identities?

02/09/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

So You Don’t Want to Go to a Restaurant on Valentine’s Day

…But you sure don’t want to cook?

02/05/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

We Left Out 2 Great Seattle Italian Restaurants!

And boy, did we hear about it.

02/02/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

The Psychology of the Empty Restaurant

Or: There’s gotta be a reason I’m not craving another visit to Crazy Pho Cajun.

01/29/2015 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

Which Restaurant for Which Seahawk?

Where we send the Seahawks when they call us for restaurant recommendations. Because this happens all the time.

01/26/2015 By Kathryn Robinson