New York City restaurants are expanding beyond their four walls, turning themselves into marketing juggernauts — and Substack has become the main stage.
What started as chefs sharing recipes has evolved into full-on editorial platforms: party recaps, opening diaries, playlists, and behind-the-scenes dispatches from the dining room floor. These are the New York restaurants using newsletters as their next dining room.
1. St. Jardim
The West Village staple behind St. Jardim and Bar Fedora launched its publication yesterday with a debut post chronicling its raucous New Year’s party, along with a sneak peek at what the team is currently drinking and listening to right now.
2. Bortolo
Chef Ryan Bartolo, the owner behind Lower East Side staple Ernesto’s and West Village newcomer Bortolo, is already off to overnight success. In a sharp two-part post, Bartolo documents exactly why he opened Bortolo, offering a rare look at the thinking behind the restaurant. Consider this one worth following closely.
3. King Cookbook (by the team behind King and Leï Wine)
The women behind King and, more recently, Leï Wine just launched the King Cookbook. While the pens were still hot, they took their talents to Substack, documenting the ins and outs of running a restaurant “in a nibble and a glass of wine.” Expect everything from recipes to must-read posts like “What Nobody Told Us About Opening a Restaurant.”
