In this, our annual issue championing excellence in local dining, we share restaurants — specifically, locally-owned ones — that are favorites of the Arbus staff, our friends and readers.
This year we’re doing something different: we’re highlighting a host of our favorite spots by way of their patrons’ favorite dishes, the ones that people come in for time and time again that become part of the restaurant’s identity.
The idea of illuminating specific plates came after leaving a delicious meal at a go-to spot and wondering for the entire drive home just what it was that made the food so special: What was that one extra spice, that flavor nuance, that technique, that made it extraordinary? We decided to ask the chefs! On the following pages you’ll see distinctive dishes deconstructed into their ingredients and then plated for your mouth-watering pleasure.
Chef Sam Efron ~ Taverna: Salmon on Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad
Along with the tried-and-true, we always listen to the buzz of the new for the Gold Star List, but this year we’re giving four talked-about spots some more time to settle in before we visit. So look for upcoming Cinda’s Cellar features on the newly opened Restaurant Doro, Five Points Tavern, Gilbert’s Social, and South Kitchen & Spirits. We can’t wait!
We hope you, too, will venture around our city to try all of the listed spots — the places we feel make our neighborhoods unique destinations and our community a fun place to explore through dining. If you think we’ve overlooked a great eatery, shoot us an email at arbus@arbus.com and we’ll check it out … maybe even with you.
