They say when a forest burns, it will come back even stronger. The pandemic set Kingston’s dining scene ablaze almost three years ago, but is this major sector of the city’s economy coming back stronger, coming back different or both? Or neither? And what does Denmark have to do with it?

It’s said that opening a restaurant is basically a 50-50 proposition; half make it, half don’t. Pre-pandemic, Kingston’s survival rate was a lot higher. Back in 2007, many doubted that the advanced cuisine offered at Uptown’s Elephant would find an audience, but it was a smash hit. (Elephant closed well before Covid; Chef Rich Reeve is now at Bia in Rhinebeck. We understand some of his Elephant-era fans don’t mind crossing the bridge for Reeve’s cooking. We don’t blame them.)

In fact, your Editorial Team is hard-pressed to think of very many failed restaurants at all in the Before Time. Instead, the foodscape grew quickly, with new places like Boitson’s, Ole Savannah, Lola’s Pizza, Pakt, the Tappen House, Mole Mole and many more finding that there were more than enough people, locals and visitors alike, to support them. A whole ecosystem of Mexican and Central American eateries, owned and operated by immigrants, set itself up in Midtown.

But 2022 was a tough year, with the closing of Boitson’s coming down like an official declaration of an end of an era. The Anchor did what many have done: pivoted from burgers, beers and wings to a new paradigm of takeout and doughnuts. Lis Bar, which brought Eastern European dishes to Midtown and hosted live music to boot, gave up the ghost. Our friends at Grainne, set up in the former Duo Bistro at the corner of Wall and John, couldn’t make it work. Nor could those at the Rainbow Diner, just on the other side of the Rondout across the closed-for-repairs Wurts Street Bridge, or at Mole Mole.

It remains to be seen what the new year brings, but it’s encouraging that so many of Kingston’s favorite longtime food spots are still chugging along. There’s Frank Guido’s remarkable success in Uptown (Front Street Tavern), Midtown (Frank Guido’s Little Italy) and Downtown (the iconic Mariner’s Harbor). Savona’s Trattoria and Ship to Shore hold it down in the Rondout. Uptown, Le Canard Enchaine, a true pioneer in Kingston fine dining, is still a going thing, as is the super-iconic Hoffmann House. Also sticking around the Stockade is the fine Greek food at Opa, the tasty Italian fare at Stella’s and the far-above-average Chinese food at Wing Shui. And who could forget the old faithful — Dallas Hot Weiners. Also Uptown, The Market Basket has for decades offered quality breakfast and lunch at low prices; we wish Colleen a quick recovery. And who could live without Sissy's Southwestern Wrap (which proved to us we actually like salsa with our eggs), the actually-healthy ramen at the delicious First Capital Poke' Bar, and the only tacos a certain finicky 9-year-old will eat at Diego's. Except for the one in Port Ewen, diners are indestructible around here, it seems; Dietz Stadium, Broadway Lights and Kings Valley are there for us all when we need an omelet with home fries or a cheeseburger deluxe and a milkshake.

That’s a very solid foundation to build on. As for this year, Ole Savannah is opening up Brickmen’s Bar and Grill in the former Boitson’s space. Last month, longtime Downtown favorite Armadillo reopened, now owned by its longtime chef, Salvador Castillo. Moonburger, the drive-through place that took over the old ice cream castle at the Washington Avenue/Sawkill Road intersection and made it the hottest spot in town with their high-concept Impossible Burgers, is planning a second location in New Paltz. Recent additions Tony and Nick’s and Salamone’s Italian Deli are bringing Uptown near a tipping point where Stanley Tucci will have to come to town to shoot a new episode of “Looking For Italy.” And there are probably many plans we haven’t heard about yet.

But what was that about Denmark? The recent New York Times story on the highest-rated restaurant in the world in Copenhagen announcing plans to close for a number of reasons got us thinking. Is dining at that high of a level anything that can last, and does that represent not only an economic phenomenon or the zeitgeist turning toward somewhat simpler, and less expensive, tastes? If there’s a thread running through Kingston’s restaurant success stories, it’s high quality at prices people can afford. Maybe that’s where the sweet spot between sustainability and envelope-pushing is, and maybe Kingston’s again poised ahead of the culinary curve.

(Editorial Team note: We’re sorry if we left anybody’s name out but by the time this editorial wrapped, we were starving and our food-deprived brains were getting a little glitchy. Feel free to shout out your faves in the comments below.)