I developed a theory this year: To some degree, restaurants were aiming to be boring on purpose. Maybe “boring” isn’t quite the right word. Familiar. Expected. Even the new places, it seemed, had been designed to feel as if they’d always been here, offering the standbys we all expect and some level of comfort we already know. This, my theory continues, is because the act of simply going out again is what felt new and exciting as 2022 arrived. We were back out in the world, with other people. There was a lot to catch up on; we didn’t need to also worry about some hot new ingredient or flavor pairing a chef had discovered. We just needed a drink (a martini, preferably), something good to eat, and our friends.
The list of stories you see below — which is measured by total collective minutes of audience engagement — comprises the 20 most-read articles we published on Grub Street this year, and they, too, offer the comfort of familiarity: a pizza feud, amazing bagels, hot chefs, lots of pie. But it wouldn’t be 2022 without some surprises in the mix (I’ll never be able to un-hear the phrase “blender chicken”), which is all part of the fun, of course. For more of this, be sure to subscribe, to check out the most-read stories from New York more broadly, and, if you haven’t already, please sign up for The Year I Ate New York so you’ll be ready when E. Alex Jung’s first edition of the newsletter arrives next month. — Alan Sytsma, food editor
reopening
20. How the Pandemic Has Forever Changed Restaurants
So far, at least. Read the story ➽
The Grub Street Diet
19. Julia May Jonas Keeps a Secret Stash of Frozen Cake
“Even bad cake is good cake.” Read the story ➽
The Grub Street Diet
18. Aaron Tveit Misses Chicken Parms
“I always liked ’em a little burnt.” Read the story ➽
The Grub Street Diet
17. Joel Kim Booster Has Mastered ‘Blender Chicken’
“It’s an old-school bodybuilder thing that I saw on YouTube one time.” Read the story ➽
The Year I Ate New York
16. 9 P.M. Is the New Midnight
Late-night dining has disappeared from New York City’s hottest restaurants. Read the story ➽
The Year I Ate New York
15. Is This Really the ‘Worst Steak in NYC’?
Seeking out a surprisingly controversial special. Read the story ➽
Reopening
14. ‘It Is Disheartening’
New York restaurant workers react to the end of the citywide vaccine mandate. Read the story ➽
The Grub Street Diet
13. Bobby Finger Is Excited to Eat Indoors Again
“Put me as close to people as possible. Put me at the bar. Put me behind the bar.” Read the story ➽
The Grub Street Diet
12. Jacqueline Novak Prefers the Big Bags of Chips
“This all goes back to the source bag, the Tostitos bag of my youth, humongous, the size of my torso.” Read the story ➽
Grub Guide
11. How to End Thanksgiving
11 extraordinary pies. Read the story ➽
Report
10. Bellucci Vs. Bellucci
New York’s next great pizza feud is here. Read the story ➽
The Grub Street Diet
9. David Sedaris Eats Until He Hates Himself
“Too much lunch puts me in a stupor, but at night, I really take the gloves off.” Read the story ➽
The Year I Ate New York
8. 200 Restaurants, 100 Tips
What our diner-at-large discovered after five months on the job. Read the story ➽
Food TV
7. What It’s Really Like to Date a Chef
Everyone was thirsty for The Bear. Read the story ➽
Report
6. Hot and Fresh and Just Off Jericho Turnpike
The best bagels in the world might be on Long Island. Read the story ➽
Lists
5. Peter Luger Has Lost Its Michelin Star
This year’s Michelin rankings included some surprises. Read the story ➽
Report
4. The Fascinating Mystery of Anna Wintour’s ‘Go-to’ Lunch
Can you even call it a salad? Read the story ➽
Exits
3. I’m Full
After 22 years and one zillion meals, our critic decided it was time to sign off. Read the story ➽
Drinks
2. Wellness Is Dead. Long Live the Martini.
“I watch these kids hammering martinis and I’m like, good Lord.” Read the story ➽
Food TV
1. What to Know Before Watching Bad Vegan
The Netflix documentary tracked the spectacular downfall of Pure Food and Wine. Read the story ➽