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New York City is flavored by all kinds of cultures — and their cuisines. That can make going out to eat thrilling but deciding where to go fairly complicated.
Say you’re in the mood for Chinese food from a specific region. There may be plenty of options, but the best one might seem like it’s a world away — an hour or more on the subway. Perhaps a neighborhood-favorite bagel counter was featured on TikTok, so now the line trails out the door. Or maybe you’re feeling fancy, but all the reservations for that Michelin-starred, splurge-worthy spot were scooped up by scalpers who are reselling them for as much as you were planning to spend on the meal.
That’s where Nikita Richardson, a Food editor for The New York Times, comes in. In Where to Eat, a weekly column and newsletter, she offers both local diners and epicures from afar a taste of the city’s restaurant scene, with suggestions for where to find the freshest fish tacos, alternatives to restaurants with impossible-to-get tables and even a guide to the best hot dogs within the five boroughs.
In an interview, Ms. Richardson talked about her love of food, the city’s evolving dining scene and separating good social media branding from “actually good food.” This interview has been edited and condensed.
How would you describe the mission of Where to Eat, which you started in March 2022?
Since the pandemic, the landscape is very different. I wanted to help people fall back in love with New York City restaurants and going out to eat. The goal was to represent all five boroughs and beyond, like the Catskills.
That was in theory. In practice, it’s very hard to do. Newsletters about a specific neighborhood don’t always do very well, but we found that going deep on a subject does. We want to provide a service.
