Eater editorial newsletter

View on web September 28, 2026 At Eater, our jobs leave us with some leftovers, both literal and figurative. Here’s a mix of recent dining observations, recommendations, and other fixations from across the Eater crew. Bettina Makalintal I had a perfect West Village weeknight. The thing about Manhattan’s West Village is that I hate it on the weekends, when it’s overrun by hordes of TikTok-brained crowds for which I have no patience, but I see all its charms so clearly on a random weeknight, when everything (and everyone) is significantly more chill. On a recent Monday, my husband and I found ourselves at dinner at Floradora, the relatively lowkey restaurant that recently replaced the fancier Chateau Royale. (More on this from me soon.) I especially liked the fritto misto, which was dusted in a mouth-puckering salt-and-vinegar coating, and the curvy fiorentini pasta in vodka sauce, which came with a fun side of chile crisp. We stopped by Super Burrito for a finisher of frozen margaritas, but because it was so nice out and I wanted to take advantage of the lack of crowds and the long-awaited gorgeous weather, we followed that up with a visit to Dean’s for pints of Guinness. Around 9 p.m., we were able to snag seats at the bar without any wait, and I even ran into a table of friends. The room was bathed in a warm, flattering glow; the windows were open, letting the cool breeze in; and everyone seemed like they were in a great mood. Perfect night, perfect city. The pasta and salmon at Floradora (left); Guinness and oysters at Dean’s (right) | Bettina Makalintal/Eater Stephanie Wu took a late-summer trip to Maine: “I was intrigued when I heard chef Christine Lau, formerly of New York City’s Kimika and Chino Grande, had moved up to Portland, Maine, to open a seasonal pop-up with the team behind nearby sushi spot Mr. Tuna. At Ladyfish, which is open through October, Lau brings elements of her Cantonese background to the seafood-heavy menu — you’ll find lap cheong sausage in the mussels casino, kung pao flavors in the tuna Milanese, and even a jerk char-siu salmon collar. We loved the pillowy soft steamed buns with uni butter, but the biggest surprise was the scallops in a blanket, enrobed in fried milk bread and served with a spicy duck dipping sauce. Here’s hoping the restaurant returns next year — I’ll be back if so.” (You can find Steph’s full list of Portland recommendations in her newsletter, From the Editor.) Patty Diez has more good things to say about Milwaukee: “Finally, I got to see what Eater readers were talking about when they practically all told us that Milwaukee should be on our Where to Eat list back in 2024. My lunches at the Diplomat and Lupi & Iris, and my dinners at Birch and High Stakes — which had the sort of calm-and-cool opening night that can only come from a seasoned pro like Paul Bartolotta — started to paint the picture. Sometime during these meals I learned that chef Dane Baldwin of the Diplomat and chef Adam Siegel of Lupi & Iris both worked for Bartolotta earlier in their careers, and I realized that was what all those Eater readers were talking about: a restaurant scene driven by chefs who worked at the mainstays and then go off to open their own thing, creating a sort of never-ending restaurant family tree where the Midwestern hospitality principles remain steady throughout. Obviously, you’re not here only for the service, though. The roast chicken at the Diplomat is reason alone to return. The kampachi crudo with melon at Birch was the most beautiful use of cantaloupe I’ve seen. I’m so glad I had a bag of a dozen of chef Adam’s grandma Marian’s almond and walnut cookies to bring back to New York. And at High Stakes, I found my new favorite four words: foie gras creme brulee.” Hilary Pollack/Eater Hilary Pollack revisited some old favorites in San Francisco: “I went home to the Bay Area for a few days and tried to pack in stops at as many old faves as possible. I can confirm that Cotogna, th