In terms of the local dining scene, 2020 commenced with a bang. Those first heady months were illuminated with stellar meals at places like Alea, Zhug, Hola and Mojo, bold restaurants that portended a welcome shift from the fast-casual tsunami and towards creative independence. But alas, Covid threw a gigantic spanner in the works, stopping progress in its tracks. Silver linings abound, however, in the form of plucky upstarts like Proof, Home Bistro, Half Moon Bakery and Leavened, businesses that managed to bloom during the darkest of days.

By Douglas Trattner