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

Top 10 Dishes of 2011: Lecosho Porchetta

12/12/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

Gettin’ Piggy With It

Seattle restaurateurs love naming their establishments after animals—but one beast tops them all.

12/05/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

The Social Awkwardness of Small-Plate Dining

Who wants delicate bite negotiations on a business dinner?

11/28/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Article

The Fake Fir Tree Alternative

O Christmas tree! Thy leaves are so unchanging.

11/23/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Article

Seattle’s Best Holiday Cookies

The area’s finest holiday cookies make these bakeries merry and bright.

11/22/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Article

Restaurant RN74 Feels Kinda French

Big-name restaurateur Michael Mina brings his concepts to downtown Seattle.

11/22/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

Latest Trend in Restaurant Menus: Listing the Staff

First it was the farm. Then it was the name of the fisherman. Now it’s the name of the dude who’s schlepping your plate.

11/21/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Article

Neighborhood Hot Spot: Dot’s Delicatessen

11/21/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

Artusi Chef Jason Stratton Explains the Mural

He put the art in Artusi…but should he have?

11/14/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

High-Tech Meets Good Eatin’

Restaurant gadgetry, meet Seattle.

11/07/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic’s Notebook

Trend Report: What Chefs Really Think of Foam, Food Trucks, and Foodies

For our Best Restaurants issue we asked the chefs and they answered. Boy did they answer.

10/31/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Best Restaurants

Seattle Best Restaurants 2011

The 25 best restaurants in Seattle right now.

10/27/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

Which Seattle Restaurants Do the Chefs Most Admire?

Oh, you will be surprised.

10/24/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

Michael Mina Thinks Seattle Diners Are…

You know you want to know what the bigshot San Francisco chef who made Seattle the site of his 19th restaurant, RN74, really thinks of us.

10/17/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Article

The Restaurant Critic, Unmasked

If you don’t know me, you don’t own me.

10/14/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

OpenTable Names Five Seattle Restaurants Among Its National Top 50

Same as New York, folks.

10/10/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic’s Notebook

Take the Mundane Out of Monday

Say what you will about our rough economy…it makes for some sweet Monday night restaurant specials. Check these out:

10/03/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Critic's Notebook

Misleading Menus

What does "Citrus Brulee" mean to you?

09/26/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Article

NPR: No Pledge Required

Isn’t that what NPR stands for?

09/21/2011 By Kathryn Robinson

Article

Beacon Ave’s New Food Destinations

09/21/2011 By Kathryn Robinson