Image Credit: Courtesy of Billie Winter
Aisha was the first female head chef at Canlis, Seattle’s oldest fine dining institution, and her wife Samantha is the restaurant’s research and development chef. Their presence hasn’t just transformed the menu at Canlis — it’s expanded the types of people who feel like they have a place in their establishment. “The staff has told us that there are so many more people of color in the dining room now,” Samantha told us.
“I’ve had people message me and be like, ‘I’ve never been to Canlis before. And I’ve lived in Seattle my whole life. And I’m Filipino, or I’m queer, and I just made my first reservation,’” Aisha said.
