As Seattle restaurants fill up again, starred reviews go away

There are signs that we are in a different phase of the pandemic. Restaurants in Seattle are filling up again. Not everyone is ready for indoor dining but with the indoor mask mandate lifted, it seems like the dining scene is getting back to whatever normal is going to be.

Seattle Times food writer Bethany Jean Clement is getting back to doing restaurant reviews but with a new focus. The paper won't do starred reviews anymore. She brought KUOW’s Kim Malcolm this update on the restaurant scene.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Kim Malcolm: How does it feel to be back?

Bethany Jean Clement: It is thrilling. I missed the community of dining in so much. I feel like it's such a part of the fabric of our city. And we've got so many amazing places.

You're no longer giving starred reviews. Why not?

Things are really different out there. There are severe staffing shortages and supply chain issues. Service can be difficult out there. Staff people are working really hard. I want to urge everyone to be empathetic. It's just different right now, and giving starred restaurant reviews under these circumstances seems like applying a really blunt instrument to a really nuanced situation.

I think of it as if, what if someone wanted to rate your or my current job performance right now on a scale of one to four, and then that rating would possibly never be updated again? No one wants that.

Before the pandemic, you and your colleague Tan Vinh wrote a manifesto about how you approach food coverage. Why is that so important to you?

Traditional restaurant viewing really tended to privilege upscale places with finer dining service. All kinds of restaurants run by all kinds of people make amazing food. We want to honor all of those people and tell their stories, and especially highlight the contributions of women and people of color in our restaurant industry.

We're also going to continue to provide info on accessibility, what the bathroom setup is like, how noisy it is, and now info on outdoor seating and takeout options for people who still don't feel like it's OK for them to go out.

It's been a really rough couple of years. Lots of places continue to close, but there are new spots opening up now. How would you describe the restaurant scene in Seattle right now?

I think it is about to be thriving again, knock on wood. There are a lot of people who are finding some space to do stuff that they might have wanted to do pre-pandemic, or even had plans in place for. We might see a real blossoming this spring in the scene, and that makes me feel really happy and lucky and grateful.

Bethany shared these recommendations:

Manao Thai Street Eats, Capitol Hill

Jackson's Catfish Corner, Central District

The Chicken Supply, Phinney Ridge

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.