If eating were only about the food, a huge component of the culinary industry would not exist. Besides the food, dining out is very much about the experience, the countless special touches that elevate a good meal to great one.
How, you might ask? Luke Barrey, a consummate server and bartender who has worked or dined at all the venues the Inlander is featuring in this year's Dining Out issue, has the answer: people.
The cuisine, he says, is top priority, "but also the service, the ambiance, the way we present ourselves as servers or bartenders, and just creating that special occasion and making every customer feel like they are the most important customer to us."
Also important? The people with whom we choose to share a meal. When pandemic shutdowns and other factors over the past few years meant we couldn't dine out (or didn't want to), that situation heightened the importance of human interaction.
While we're not totally out of the woods yet — people still have health concerns, the culinary industry faces continued challenges, and rising food costs impact everyone — the four chefs we interviewed for this year's Dining Out take the act of eating out to new levels. The experiences they've created transcend the ordinary and remind us that our shared meals nourish more than just our bodies.
— CARRIE SCOZZARO, Dining Out editor
