Podcast Summary: "Biggest Food Stories of 2023"

Podcast: All Of It with Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Melissa McCart, New York Editor of Eater & Author of "Bread and How to Eat It"
Air Date: December 21, 2023

Overview

This lively episode explores the most talked-about New York City food stories from 2023, as chosen by Eater readers and editors. With guest Melissa McCart, the show captures New York’s dynamic culinary scene, from viral job postings and croissant wars to high-profile restaurant closures, controversial food celebrities, and the enduring appeal of neighborhood gems. Listener calls and texts inject local color, opinions, and recommendations, highlighting NYC's deep passion for food culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why a Holistic Approach to "Best of" Food Stories?

• Eater's Year-End Coverage: Rather than classic “Best Restaurant” lists, Eater focused on the stories that elicited the most reader response, spanning breaking news, industry drama, and quirky moments.
  Melissa McCart:

  "It's really important to look at what readers want to see... it spans across news stories... to really over-the-top decadence stories." (04:57)

Viral Hiring Fiasco & Restaurant Labor Issues

Segment: [05:34 – 08:32]

• Brooklyn Café PECS Goes Viral:

  • A manager’s sarcastic email response to a job candidate asking for salary info violates expectations of transparency, goes viral, and sparks debate about restaurant pay.
  • McCart underscores the intense economic challenges faced by restaurants and workers, and the rising importance of unionization discourse.
  • Quoting PECS’ reply:

    "The salary ranges between $0 an hour to $1 billion an hour tip. Slight sarcasm. Now, either send me your resume or don't. Not sarcasm." (07:29 – Alison Stewart reading)

• Takeaway:
  Transparency and tone matter. The story ranked as Eater's second most-read piece of the year.

Croissant Wars: The Quest for NYC’s Best

Segment: [09:16 – 13:46 & 23:55 – 24:53]

• Croissants Take Center Stage:

  • Listeners flood call/text lines with nominations.
  • Eater’s definitive croissant “map” grew out of demand for an objective, plain-croissant-only, non-“stunt” ranking.
  • “Stunt croissants” defined as outrageous, overloaded iterations—fads vs. the classic.
    • Melissa McCart:

      "For the purposes of this map, he went minimalist and said croissants without anything in them..." (11:41)

• Top Picks:

  • Winner: ALF in Chelsea Market ("the Goldilocks effect"—not too dark, not too light).
  • Runner-Ups: Paris Baguette, breakfast carts—praised for quality, accessibility, and value.
    • Melissa McCart:

      "The cart croissant to him was all of those things." (13:04)

• Listener Shoutouts:

  • Nick and Sons, Williamsburg: "My boyfriend is the head baker there. Everyone try it!" (10:10)
  • Oh Me De Fred, Les Fournil (East Village), Canal (LIC/Jackson Heights): “The chef used to be a chef at the Waldorf Astoria... his croissants are the best.” (23:26)
  • First Village Coffee (Ossining, Westchester), Balthazar and more

Community Calls: Hidden Gems and Local Stories

Segment: [08:32 – 18:35]

• Small Businesses Survive and Thrive:
  • Anna (Greenpoint): Praises Find Du Monde, run by young owners navigating survival during the pandemic.
  • Mel (Brooklyn): Spotlights Little Egg, “Tables of Contents” literary food program showcasing writer-chef collaborations.
  • Ruth (Scarsdale): Describes how walkable suburban towns with small, quality food shops become vibrant "third places."
  • Jordan (Ridgewood): Louisa Cocina lauded as “the best Mexican food in New York,” run by a three-person family team.

Restaurant Closures & The Migrant Crisis

Segment: [18:35 – 20:36]

• Danny Meyer Shuts Two Restaurants:
  • Closures at Marta and Maialino (in the Redbury Hotel) after the hotel converted to migrant housing.
  • Highlights how real estate shifts and broader city crises (housing/migration) directly impact even renowned businesses.
    • Melissa McCart:

      "I think this story is important because it speaks to the real crisis that we're seeing in terms migrants needing housing... an intersection of so many different difficult issues." (19:19, 20:28)

Pizza Controversy: Dave Portnoy & Social Responsibility

Segment: [20:44 – 23:00]

• Portnoy One Bite Reviews & Festival:
  • Gained notoriety among mom-and-pop pizzerias, yet remains divisive given his record of racist and misogynistic remarks.
  • Industry and fans are split; local newspapers call out pizzerias that participate.
    • Melissa McCart:

      "Dave Portnoy is a really incendiary figure... a lightning rod because of... racism and the way he treats women." (21:02) "It was, like, sort of straight out of a Trump playbook in terms of how it split people's responses." (22:32)

Star Power: Michael Imperioli’s Upper West Side Bar

Segment: [24:53 – 25:53]

• Scarlet Bar’s Arrival:
  • Actor and partner open a moody red cocktail lounge with Upper West Side flair.
  • Extravagant “spendy” cocktails now common in NYC.
    • Melissa McCart:

      "There's an element of camp to it that I, I love." (25:36)

    • Alison Stewart:

      "That hurts." (regarding $20+ cocktails) (25:53)

Schadenfreude & Salt Bae’s Restaurant Closure: NYC’s “Worst” Burger Joint

Segment: [25:56 – 27:11]

• Salt Bae’s Failed Spot:
  • The chef’s burger restaurant closed after negative reviews and social media ridicule.
  • New Yorkers responded with glee—“schadenfreude is not dead in New York.”
    • Melissa McCart:

      "...he was sort of encroaching on territory that felt sacred. And we headlined it the Worst Restaurant in New York City... New Yorkers celebrated with gusto the list." (26:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Eater’s Coverage:

  "Best of lists are great, but what stuck with people were these stories that touched nerves—croissant quests, labor drama, closures with social consequences."
  (Summary of Melissa and Alison's exchange)

• Brooklyn Café Email:

  "The salary ranges between $0 an hour to $1 billion an hour tip. Slight sarcasm. Now, either send me your resume or don't. Not sarcasm." (07:29)

• On "Stunt Croissants":

  "A cronade is sort of a stunt croissant... for this map, we went plain, as intended." (11:41)

• On Salt Bae’s Demise:

  "Schadenfreude is not dead in New York." (26:16)

• On Cultural Power of Food:

  "It's the third place, you know, where you can run into somebody you weren't expecting to... so important for the health of our suburbs..." (Ruth, 16:00+)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:30] Show Introduction
• [04:48] Why Eater Chose Reader-Driven Stories
• [05:34] Viral Job Post & Restaurant Labor Issues
• [09:16] Listeners Call in with Food Stories and Croissant Picks
• [13:46] Croissant Segment Wraps Up
• [18:35] Danny Meyer Restaurant Closures & Migrant Crisis
• [20:44] Dave Portnoy Controversy
• [23:55] More Croissant Discussion/Listener Recs
• [24:53] Michael Imperioli’s Scarlet Bar
• [25:56] Salt Bae’s Restaurant Declared Worst in NYC

Additional Listener Highlights

• Food as Community:

  • Listeners highlight the importance of walkable neighborhoods and independent shops ("the third place"), the resilience of small business, and cross-pollination between culture and cuisine.

• Local Recommendations:

  • The show becomes a crowdsourced guide to NYC’s best bites, often bypassing trendiness in favor of authenticity and heart.

Tone & Style

The episode exudes a vibrant, conversational New York energy: curious, passionate, unafraid to be critical, and always with humor and warmth for the city's ever-changing food scene. Host Alison Stewart fosters an inviting atmosphere, seamlessly blending expert insights with community voices.

Conclusion

This special year-end roundup is a flavorful snapshot of New York’s food landscape in 2023, highlighting not just what’s on the plate, but the people, politics, and stories behind it. Whether you’re a food obsessive or city watcher, the episode serves up an engaging mix of laughter, debate, and real talk—underscoring the idea that in New York, even a croissant can spark a movement.