Kendall Padgett-McEuen, winner of Readers' Choice Best Server award, has been with Carruthers since it opened.

Runner-up: Heather Miller, Buoy Beer Co., Astoria

Honorable Mention: Jasmine Swank, Astoria Coffee House & Bistro, Astoria

Kendall Padgett-McEuen has been with Carruthers, where her husband Wade is a sous chef, since the restaurant opened in August 2016.

“I try to give people the respect and humor they deserve in a situation” she said. “I think that overly stifled interactions just lead to incredibly awkward and sometimes uncomfortable situations. So I try to treat people as though they are my friends coming in.”

Padgett-McEuen moved to Astoria as a teenager from Santa Cruz, California. She moved to Seattle for several years before returning to Astoria about 10 years ago, after which she met her husband. Before Carruthers, Padgett-McEuen said, she cut her teeth in the local restaurant scene at T Paul’s Urban Cafe.

Asked why people come to Carruthers, she pointed to the atmosphere and food.

“I think that people also do appreciate the recognition of repeat visits,” she said. “It’s never a fun situation walking into a restaurant you’ve been in 100 times and having the staff treat you as though you’re fresh to the restaurant. So I really try to make a concentrated effort to try and recognize and welcome all of our family that has helped bring us where we are.”