The bars and restaurants that bring the sparkle to New York City never ceased their revelry.
While the rest of the nation—businesses, investors, economists, everyday people—spent 2023 in a state of apprehension, anticipating a recession that never arrived, New York City's dining elite emerged from the pandemic more vibrant, proud, and extravagant than ever. Here, it's like ancient Rome.
And if New York City has a legalized form of popular bloodsport, it's the restaurant business.
Securing a table at the most sought-after restaurants is a test of one's resilience to rejection. In old New York, money and status were the keys to securing a seat wherever you desired.
But with the advent of the internet and reservation apps like Resy, person-to-person contact in these bookings has vanished, turning the process of snagging a coveted table into the briefest of video games.
Status still matters, but tech-savvy individuals who have programmed bots to scout for reservations have added a new layer of complexity.
I recently encountered a man who has a constant search for a five-person table at a trendy new restaurant.
He was quite proud of this. I was not.
Despite the surge in demand, challenges persist. Food prices have steadily risen, the competitive job market has made it difficult to find and retain workers, and New York City rents continue to climb. Yet, new restaurants continue to open.
And not just any restaurants—luxurious, extravagant restaurants with ingredients as diverse as the city itself.
The new wave of eateries is a stark contrast to the previous era of NYC dining. After the financial crisis, the city adopted a minimalist approach, presenting everything with clean lines and understated elegance.
Now, it has returned to a more extravagant style reminiscent of the Gilded Age—a maximalist aesthetic that demands "more with a side of much more." The city's bars have also embraced this trend.
Is there a greater vote of confidence in New York's economic recovery than opening a tiki bar that feels like a dive, is adorned with flowers like a wedding at the Grand Prospect Hall, and offers $25 cocktails with names like "Tarman"?
Despite New York City's apparent triumph over the pandemic and the resurgence of dining as Gotham's favorite pastime, there remains a stark divide between the haves and the have-nots.
As the pandemic emergency waned, our peculiar new economy exposed the stark difference between Americans who feel they can weather an inflationary shock and those who cannot.
It's no surprise that Manhattan, where the income gap is wider than in any other county in the country, has been at the forefront of this American vibe revolution.
It is a granite island of affluent individuals looking for something to occupy their time—Wall Street bankers, tech executives, generational wealth holders, the famous, and the beautiful.
In a country beset by recession fears, those at the top of New York City couldn't care less. Opening a new business anywhere is an act of optimism. Opening a restaurant in New York City requires the faith of a medieval saint.
For an industry that already teetered on the edge, the pandemic seemed like it could deliver a fatal blow.
Were it not for delivery apps, creative outdoor seating, and many New Yorkers' reluctance to use their apartment kitchens, we might have lost even more of our eateries. In this town, an unlisted, unmarked, hole-in-the-wall serving top-notch Xinjiang noodles can be just as much a destination as Tavern on the Green—and the food will probably be better. Even amidst this chaos, New York is a city that thrives on unusual circumstances, and when the pandemic struck, that became its superpower.
"I think the city and New Yorkers are so different and so unfazed by it. Remember when there were a million people eating outside?" said Jennifer Sasue, a Manhattan restaurateur.
Sasue opened her first restaurant, Fish Cheeks, in 2017, and it quickly became a favorite among downtown patrons.
During the pandemic, Fish Cheeks, like many other restaurants, survived by ramping up takeout and setting up outdoor seating. Sasue noted that after a lull during lockdowns, revenue at her restaurant returned to the typical cycle of the city's restaurant business: a slow start to the year, a busy spring, a quieter summer, and then a frenzy starting in the fall and continuing through the holiday season.
Since then, New Yorkers have staved off recession fears by spending as if there were no tomorrow—especially on food, drinks, and entertainment.
By the end of March 2023, nightlife spending had surged to 11% above pre-pandemic levels, according to a report from Mastercard. This enthusiasm for spending, combined with the opening of new, trendy restaurants, underscores the city's resilience and its rejection of recessionary fears.
However, beneath the surface of prosperity lies a more nuanced reality. While some restaurants have thrived, others continue to struggle with rising costs and high staff turnover.
The housing crisis, exemplified by record-low rental vacancies, further exacerbates the gap between the city's haves and have-nots.
The current economic landscape serves as a reminder of the challenges the city faced during the Gilded Age, highlighting the need for structural change to address inequality.
Despite these challenges, New York City's dining scene continues to evolve, offering a mix of elegance and theatricality that reflects the city's resilient spirit.
As the city navigates the complexities of post-pandemic recovery, its dining establishments serve as a microcosm of the broader economic and social issues facing the country.