Faithful Reader Darlene tells me she just spent a few days in Seattle and that "By far the best meal we had was at the Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, WA (north of Seattle).  The chef there is Holly Smith, a rising star, originally from Monkton, MD." 

Smith graduated from Baltimore International Culinary College (now Baltimore International College); and the list of her awards since then is impressive, including Bon Appetit's Best New Casual Restaurant in 2001.

More recently, she was nominated for the James Beard Foundation Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest this year. Her restaurant regularly appears on "best" lists.

Smith opened Cafe Juanita, a  northern Italian restaurant, in 2000. Good to know about if you're out that way.

 
(Photo courtesy of Cafe Juanita)