Canlis alumnus Brady Ishiwata Williams has forged his own path with his White Center restaurant, Tomo, No. 7 in our list of Seattle’s 50 Essential Restaurants.

Monsoon proved that Vietnamese food cooked expertly deserves as much respect as any “highbrow” culinary tradition. It’s No. 8 in our 50 Essential Restaurants.

You might find a haunt like Le Caviste wandering around the 11th arrondissement. Can’t afford a trip to Paris? This downtown wine bar is the next best thing.

Since it opened in 2019, Paju has proven itself to be one of Seattle’s best spots for happy hour, a great dinner date or a fabulously fun lunch.

At noon Nov. 16, our Seattle Times food writers will answer reader questions about how we crafted our list of Seattle’s 50 Essential Restaurants.