Last year, we introduced our annual restaurant awards with guarded optimism that the dining scene was (finally!) back to normal or, at least, had found a new, possibly better-in-some-ways normal. And here we are. A year later, it still seems appropriate to note that, yep, the world has changed, food has changed, the way we live our lives, including eating out, has changed. So, this feature has, too.
Last year, we introduced our annual restaurant awards with guarded optimism that the dining scene was (finally!) back to normal or, at least, had found a new, possibly better-in-some-ways normal. And here we are. A year later, it still seems appropriate to note that, yep, the world has changed, food has changed, the way we live our lives, including eating out, has changed. So, this feature has, too. Practical matters, such as the labor shortage, led us to nix a couple categories. Hidden Gems got its own full section.But the most significant change may be in the way our critics nominated and debated winners the subtle shift in their thinking about what’s important. These awards have always been aspirational; we’re here to honor excellence and innovation. But emerging from our discussions was something else that matters more than it used to. Call it longevity, tradition, even warmth the impulse to include a place not only because the food is superb, but also, the maître d’ r