For our annual travel issue, we bring you stories from both Manhattan and Brooklyn. You can browse the full Manhattan-centric table of contents here. Check out even more stories from this issue over on Edible Brooklyn.
Here are the issue’s opening words from our editor, Jesse Hirsch:
It feels apropos to edit our travel issue in Rhode Island, on a necessary escape from the city’s bustle. As I put final tweaks on captions and ensure we didn’t misspell any names, leafy shadows are playing on the walls; I’m distracted by the occasional foghorn. It’s some kind of life.
Let’s be real — living in New York is a challenge, no matter what resources you have handy. It’s a city where struggle is baked into the DNA of daily life, where minor errands can lead to major calamities. It might seem unmanageable were it not for the ability to leave (even occasionally).
In this issue, we have tales of New Yorkers doing just that, from Michael Chernow (The Meatball Shop, Seamore’s) heading upstate to fish, to Sara Jenkins (Porchetta, Porsena) getting mentored in the Umbrian countryside. These chefs reveal a truth both basic and profound — sometimes we must travel to find growth back home. (Not to mention stay sane.)
This issue also highlights the global travel one can simulate right here in New York. For a little island flavor, one writer takes us on a tour of Crown Heights’ Caribbean restaurants. We also get to check out a marriage of Taiwanese and Mexican flavors in a traditionally Polish neighborhood. And there’s the story of Indian-style relishes with a distinctly Brooklyn flavor.
We also have some strong explorations of the foodshed right outside our urban borders. There’s a piece about the revival of ancient grains in New York State, which gave us our handsome cover (did you think that was Bushwick?). Also check out the nice autumnal story about a couple using Hudson Valley apples to make cider in Chelsea.
But let us briefly revisit my original thought: the idea of escaping our difficult and wonderful city. I’ve been speaking in the clichés of New Yorkers in the countryside — “I can breathe here! I can see the stars!” — but it really does feel like a power up. I will absorb some rural peace and come back to the city renewed and vital. Here’s hoping you were able to do a bit of the same this summer. Happy autumn!
P.S. I feel lucky to have worked with Gabrielle Langholtz on this transitional issue of the magazine. Gabrielle shaped the voice and feel of Edible Brooklyn and Manhattan over many long and storied years; she will be missed.
Jesse Hirsch, Editor
Illustration by Tae Won Yu
