Rising chef David Nichols’s new farm-to-table Green Lake restaurant showcases the ingredients, influences, and aesthetics from the Wenatchee, WA, orchards that his family owns and operates. A focus on seasonal, local produce isn’t new to the Seattle dining scene, but Nichols’s versatility and craft (honed at Rider before) shows that he’s one to watch.

Sunset Hill’s handsome, understated new bistro on the block is a warm, farm-to-table spot that has an appropriately Pacific Northwest feel, with dark wood decor and a wood fire stove — something that’s become more common around town. It’s one more piece of evidence that more and more northern neighborhoods are developing into food hubs.

Seattle’s best Chicago-style deep dish, once available only for delivery or pick-up in a variety of charming but limited arrangements, established its own permanent outpost in Phinney Ridge. The full menu includes a rotating selection of slices and a few new twists, including the Mamma Mia pie, which has roasted garlic, meatballs, and sport pepper, with Windy City’s signature caramelized crust. It’s a true pop-up success story.

While a Portland-based chain deciding to open a Seattle location wouldn’t normally turn many heads, the ethos behind this sustainable sushi restaurant — showcasing seafood sourced from eco-friendly fisheries — is a welcome trend. Together with West Seattle’sMashiko, Bamboo Sushi helps continue to conversation about what it means to lower environmental impact in the restaurant industry, while maintaining a high level of quality.

Renee Erickson’s new restaurant opened this spring in the former home of Saint Helens Cafe. The star chef amended the menu slightly, adding more local and sustainable sourcing, along with new French dishes like steak au poivre and Parisian gnocchi. While fellow titans in the industry (Tom Douglas, Ethan Stowell) contracted their Seattle portfolio, it’s worth noting that Erickson was still in expansion mode.

Upper Queen Anne is now home to this family-friendly restaurant from chef Maximillian Petty and wife Jennifer. Conceived as a casual counterpart to their nearby fine dining destination Eden Hill Restaurant, it features some kid-friendly options like mac and cheese with aged cheddar. But adult palates are well-served, too — and the dry-aged “Big Max” burger may just grow into a franchise on its own.

This Capitol Hill Italian restaurant on East Broadway is a more affordable offshoot of the upscaleAlturaacross the street. It also replacedthe much-loved Poppy, so there’s a lot to live up to. Luckily, the light, well-crafted pasta dishes and a roving cart of small plates have been winners so far, showing that this section of East Broadway still has some heat.

Two young Vietnamese chef siblings — who were once refugees — look to the food of their childhood for inspiration at this Bainbridge Island newcomer. There are wings stuffed with ground pork and shiitake mushrooms, clay pot catfish, and sirloin wrapped in betel leaf, along with some fun brunch items, such as taro bubble waffles with fried chicken. It’s modern Vietnamese cuisine from a new generation, filled with passion and precision.

“Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto opened his new ramen and izakaya restaurant Momosan Seattle in the Chinatown-International District’s historic Publix building this September, the third outpost of the franchise and the first on the West Coast. On the encyclopedic menu are Momosan’s signature broth and noodle dishes, along with an extensive selection of yakitori. There’s celebrity chef spectacle, to be sure, which can turn some off — but it no doubt raises the star power of a sometimes-overlooked dining neighborhood.

James Beard Award-nominated chef Mike Easton renovated West Seattle’s century-old log house, the Alki Homestead, and turned it into a perfectly PNW dining experience. The Italian menu features plenty of handmade pastas, just like the star chef’s acclaimed lunch-only spot in Pioneer Square,Il Corvo, along with worthy meat dishes, such as the seared ribeye. It’s no wonder that reservations have been so hard to get.

This hot new West Seattle smokehouse — from veterans of the uber popular Pike Place Market bar,Radiator Whiskey, andWhite Swan Public House— is a welcome addition to an often-thin barbecue scene in the city. The pork belly “Porkstrami” sandwiches on rye, smoked bologna, turkey leg with dry rub, slow-roasted brisket, and other meat-heavy dishes served in the warm, countryfied dining room make it feel like a cookout all year long.