Just because you don’t see some of my previous choices doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve dropped off my radar or fallen out of favor. For openers, I’m spending more time in increasingly casual restaurants, looking harder for more vegetarian dishes and inclined to shine a light on restaurants whose chefs aren’t household names. This year’s survey of my favorite restaurants, my 22nd annual fall dining guide, is a reflection of how the pandemic has changed me, too.

His response to the upheaval: “radical self-care,” meaning more time with friends and outside pursuits and taking stock of the whole person, mental health included, in a business known for its long hours and uncomfortable working conditions. (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post) RIGHT: Rigatoni with sausage at the Red Hen in Washington. LEFT: Bartender Maurizio Arberi at Imperfecto in Washington. Rigatoni with sausage at the Red Hen in Washington. On the other hand, he feels he’s bonded more with his colleagues since the pandemic “set ego and hubris aside.” Echoing others in the industry, Barreto says, “We give so much to guests. “A lot of people have left the industry.” Asked to sum up 2021, “crucible” is the first word out of his mouth. The executive chef at Anju in Washington, who’s spent half his 32 years in the industry, is no Ted Lasso. One of them, Angel Barreto, sees something profound - positive even - coming out of the mess.

Eighteen months into the global crisis, the people who feed us away from home wonder how much resilience they still need to muster.

A lack of staff means shorter hours of operation at restaurants across the board. Service seems to be in a free fall as dining room staff have left the industry in droves, there’s a chance you’ll be asked for proof of vaccination when you show up for your reservation, and good luck finding somewhere to eat early in the week or late at night. Eat out with any frequency and you can’t help but notice changes on the restaurant scene wrought by the pandemic.

Cue club annandale