ryan is a food critic with nearly two decades of experience. he’s also a reporter, opinion columnist, editor, and grad school professor
I was the chief food critic at Eater NY from 2014-2023, and the New York food critic at Bloomberg News before that. Currently, I am the chief critic and editor at The LO Times.
My reviews have earned a James Beard Award, two additional JBFA nominations, and an AFJ criticism award. My columns on a very bad French meal and some really good beef jerky helped secure Eater two team ASME awards.
I’m also a seasoned reporter, with expertise in labor, food, finance, economic data, and policy analysis. Every fall, I teach a criticism and food writing class at CUNY’s Newmark School of Journalism; my course grapples with pressing issues such as appropriation, representation, gentrification, race, privilege, ethics, labor, harassment, and sustainability. Previously, I’ve worked as a restaurant server, a human rights researcher, a barista, a translator, and a writer for a terrible Sunday morning talk show.
You can view my photography portfolio here, and my WNYC radio interviews here.
ryanpsutton@gmail.com
01
thirteen pretty good columns.
what went wrong with the $1.6 billion moynihan station
This is what happens when real estate developers transform a train station into an upscale canteen for Facebook staffers. The station, in short, becomes a place where commuters have to shell out $11 for two slices of pizza.
02
evelia’s tamales is one of the best ways to spend $1.50 in nyc
I break some news on how one of the city’s best known tamale purveyors raised prices for the first time in over 20 years. The first in a four-part series (see: pizza, beer, and pastrami) that mixes inflation reporting with food reviewing.
03
at veselka, the war is front and center
An affordable east village diner lets patrons help Ukrainians procure lethal aid to repel the russian invaders. The borscht is still quite good too.
04
why we’re removing stars from restaurant reviews at eater
An essay on how stars undermine food criticism.
05
but can you even handle all the sushi bros?
“One of the modern truths of New York gastronomy is that eating expensive sushi means witnessing the wealthy carry out their extravagant existences. At Masa, I watched a party of four wolf down $700 worth of wagyu in a minute.”
06
a tasting menu spot reckons with diner privilege
Reverence in Harlem makes patrons agree to a diner code of conduct before booking, and issues warnings to diners who don’t abide by the no-phone policy.
07
the case against hudson yards dining
Wherein I channel a bit of Jane Jacobs to criticize a $20 billion complex before it even opened.
08
a critic’s night out with a tik-tok influencer
What the app means for the future of food criticism and the aesthetics of restaurant food — and how trendy lighting cubes can turn your table into a blinding movie set.
09
new york’s craziest, cash-only omakase party
Documenting the all-you-can-drink madness at a freewheeling omakase spot in Queens.
10
a night at colombia’s andres carnes de res
I spent nine hours eating, drinking, and dancing at one of the world’s most famed clubstaurants. I also danced the merengue as part of my reporting duties.
11
finding healing and nourishment at the wall street baths
“The banya reminds me of how I used to eat before I ate for a living, which is to say at places where food was a vital part of a larger activity, not the single religious event around which an entire evening was organized.”
12
why $400 sushi menus are the new normal in nyc
How supply chain kinks, shipping costs, and competitive price have pushed the price of a top-tier sushi meal in nyc to over $1,000 for two.
13
on the joys (and disappointments) of fine dining with a view
“When dining at these elevated restaurants, it’s hard not to wonder whether the city’s real estate developers couldn’t find a way to showcase a deeper breadth of cuisines in spaces known for their skyline panoramas. That is to say: You don’t often see the operators of modern Mexican, South Asian, or regional Chinese spots landing rooftop deals in the shadow of the Empire State Building. Those planning to attend an anniversary dinner or a graduation lunch at a restaurant known for its sprawling views of the city will frequently come up with a list of venues…that are generally European-American in their leanings, with a few exceptions here and there.”