Restaurant People

Our 2025 guides to The Best New Restaurants around the country are live and ready for you to disagree with. So we’re dedicating our final episode of the season to explaining the behind-the-scenes process, which takes Infatuation editors and writers 12 months and hundreds of restaurant visits. Bryan and Hannah hear from Philly Senior Staff Writer Candis McLean about choosing ratings, how she narrows down a shortlist of favorites, and the restaurant trends of the year. 
 
Check out the 2025 Best New Restaurants guide in your city: 
NYC https://www.theinfatuation.com/new-york/guides/best-new-restaurants-new-york-2025
LA https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-new-restaurants-los-angeles-2025
Philly https://www.theinfatuation.com/philadelphia/guides/best-new-restaurants-philadelphia-2025 
Atlanta https://www.theinfatuation.com/atlanta/guides/best-new-restaurants-atlanta-2025 
Seattle https://www.theinfatuation.com/seattle/guides/best-new-restaurants-seattle-2025 
San Francisco https://www.theinfatuation.com/san-francisco/guides/best-new-restaurants-san-francisco-2025 
Austin https://www.theinfatuation.com/austin/guides/best-new-restaurants-austin-2025 
Chicago https://www.theinfatuation.com/chicago/guides/best-new-restaurants-chicago-2025
London https://www.theinfatuation.com/london/guides/best-new-restaurants-london-2025 
Miami https://www.theinfatuation.com/miami/guides/best-new-restaurants-miami-2025

If you work in an office, the sustenance closest to your desk is probably a $15 bowl of wet greens and grains. You may even feel tenderly about your slop bowl. After all, it’s the only taste of the outside world between 9-5pm. In this episode of Restaurant People, Hannah and Bryan are joined by Infatuation Austin Senior Editor Matt Jacobs to discuss the grimmest meal of the day, going undercover in a corporate cafeteria, and why we can’t seem to shake that wet, wet lunchtime slop.  

Log onto any Infatuation city’s homepage—be it Denver or Philly—and there’s a good chance we’ve just reviewed a new restaurant that brands itself as “Mexico City-inspired.” But beyond tuna tostadas dressed to kill and small-batch ceramics, what does that label really mean? In this episode of Restaurant People, Hannah and Bryan talk with chef, author, and Mexico City native Pati Jinich to find out. 
 
In this episode, you’ll get:
[0:02:12] Notes on Mexico City as a tourist destination in 2019 vs. 2025
[0:06:17] A discussion of Mexico City’s impact on New York City dining 
[0:10:18] Hannah and Bryan’s observations on what Mexico City-inspired restaurants in America have in common
[0:13:50] Chef, award-winning author, and host Pati Jinich defines the dining culture of Mexico City and the term “Mexico City-inspired restaurant” 
[0:20:55] Pati Jinich’s take on Mexican cuisine as a mother cuisine
[0:24:21] A game of ”Is that Restaurant in Mexico City or America?”, based on Instagram posts alone (visit the Infatuation’s YouTube channel to see the game played in full with photos)
[0:29:30] Pati Jinich’s thoughts on the recent influx of tourists in Mexico City 
[0:32:16] Bryan and Hannah’s reaction to the proliferation of Mexico City-inspired restaurants in America

It seems like bakeries, cafes, and sweet shops are opening at a faster pace than restaurants right now (with the long lines to match). In this episode of Restaurant People, Hannah and Bryan unpack the appeal of sweets, hear from Emmy-nominated comedian and actor Kate Berlant about her favorite desserts in LA, and discuss why pastry chefs are leaving traditional restaurant settings.

We all know the word and at least four people who fit the category, but what does being a foodie actually mean in 2025? And why is it a “banned word” in Infatuation’s style guide? In this episode of Restaurant People, Hannah and Bryan talk with Mike Chau a.k.a. FoodBabyNY and co-host of How Long Gone Jason Stewart about the sub-categories of obsessive diners, social media’s impact on restaurants, and whether or not foodies need a rebrand.

Can food be art? Of course it can. But when does innovation work, and when does it taste like an ego play? In this episode of Restaurant People, Infatuation Editor-In-Chief Arden Shore joins Hannah and Bryan to discuss the genre of restaurants serving dishes like “spaghetti squash, passionfruit” for $21. What makes “interesting food” interesting, and who is it for? This episode is for diners who demand more from their small plates, and don’t go to restaurants just to be full.
 
This episode is for diners who demand more from their small plates, and don’t go to restaurants just to be full. We’re talking about quote-unquote “interesting food,” or the quirked-up combinations of ingredients and techniques that may never have been seen before. Can food be art? Of course it can. But when does self-consciously “interesting food” work and when do ego dishes fall flat?

What goes into great restaurant service? In this episode of Restaurant People, Bryan and Hannah are joined by former Hillstone server (and current sommelier and hospitality expert) Steven Bono to discuss the BTS of service, fine dining vs. neighborhood spots, and the one question you should never ask your server.

In this episode of Restaurant People, recorded live at EEEEEATSCON Chicago, Bryan and Hannah are joined by the Infatuation Chicago team to discuss what makes a restaurant “fun,” what fun even means, and the dive bar where you might just be able to find Michael Shannon.

“Where should I go for my birthday this year?” It’s the dining dilemma the Infatuation team gets asked about on a near-daily basis. The stakes may be high, but we can help. In this episode of Restaurant People, Hannah and Bryan run through everything they think makes for a perfect birthday dinner. Yes to karaoke and hot pot. No to gowns and fine dining. Look within and find out what type of birthday celebrator you are, how to not make your friends hate you, and more.

Have you ever paid $60 for a total of nine gently poached shrimp? Or are you a financially responsible person on whom your family relies? In this episode of Restaurant People, Hannah and Bryan settle in with Infatuation Senior Editor Jonathan Smith for an exhaustive investigation of America’s sweetheart, and the silliest food imaginable: shrimp cocktail. It’s cold shrimp. It’s ketchup and horseradish. We can’t get enough.