You might want to check out Spoon and Stable, it’s the same Chef as Demi.
You also might want to check out Owamni which is Native American fine dining, I haven’t eaten here, but it has amazing reviews and is a unique menu.
Personally I’m low class so don’t eat at these places often, but one of my favs is Nongs Thai in a suburb about 20 minutes from downtown.
The TC food scene genuinely deserves better press than it gets so I'm glad someone said it.
Spoon and Stable is a reliable yes. Porzana is always a go-to... I went there for a birthday dinner once, it was Aquatennial weekend. So dimly lit with fireworks visible from our table. *Chef's kiss*. One of those evenings that just accidentally becomes a memory. Bûcheron earned the James Beard for a reason and I've never seen someone leave disappointed. Gai Noi is a place I've been introducing people to lately and the reaction is consistently "why didn't anyone tell me about this sooner." Khaluna is a client favorite. The atmosphere does as much work as the food. Kado no Mise if you want something quieter and precise.
On Billy's Sushi, I know some people feel like you're paying for the name and maybe there's something to that. But Billy is genuinely there almost every night, his team clearly knows what they're doing, and I have never had a bad meal there. Sometimes the vibe IS the experience and that's not nothing. Also Billy After Dark (BAD) after dinner is a solid move if you want the evening to keep going somewhere interesting. They don't tell you what's in the cocktails, you just get the "vibe". It's rather fun!
Owamni I love in theory. But in practice, as someone who is part Native American, so I feel genuinely obligated to say this... I have been there with people and we have ended up somewhere else afterward for something to snack on because the food is beautiful and historically honest. And in the same breath, my ancestors clearly had extraordinary willpower that I did not inherit. No sugar, no dairy, no wheat? Respect... truly.
Ethiopian spots, taquerias, and pho... someone else take those, that's not my lane and I'd rather admit that than send you somewhere wrong.
