The October Issue Is a Love Letter to Restaurants

Dear Pros,

Hunter here. I recently had the privilege of introducing the writer John T. Edge and my colleague and Southern Living editor in chief Sid Evans for a live podcast conversation about Edge's powerful new memoir House of Smoke. (You can listen to it on the Biscuits & Jam feed on October 21.) The book recounts his challenging childhood in the Deep South as part of a family that held dear to Confederate narratives, reflected against the sense of belonging he found through food. Someone should option the memoir for a movie; his cinematic writing style reminds me of some of the best of Pat Conroy's nonfiction.

After Edge's book signing, the three of us and our better halves gathered for dinner at Chez Fon Fon, my ride-or-die local bistro operated by Pardis and Frank Stitt. We settled in over a round of Old Fashioneds to talk about art, writing, our kids — and, yes, politics at the dinner table, because it takes real discipline not to in these times — until one of Chez Fon Fon's excellent managers broke the fourth wall and introduced her delighted parents to Edge. They were in for dinner that night and are fans of his show TrueSouth on the SEC network. He was happy to oblige with hugs and a chat.

The sweet, unscripted moment of mutual admiration reminded me of what Edge wrote for our October Restaurants Issue in an essay about hospitality at its best, when people treat their roles of server and customer as more of a call and response or like the ebb and flow of a tidal river rather than a one-sided power dynamic where one is there solely to give and the other is there only to take.

"Hospitality depends on observation and empathy and the promise of delight," Edge writes. "As our American relationship with restaurants matures, that calculus matters more than ever."

Keyword: empathy.

I also like the way that David Coggins of The Contender framed his role as the recipient of hospitality with his fellow Substacker and industry pro Victoria James in a recent interview for her Wine, Restaurants, People newsletter. Asked how to be a better guest: "I want to be in the spirit of a place," Coggins said.

That spirit pervades the October Issue of Food & Wine, our love letter to restaurants and restaurant people, including A-level guests. George McCalman and Rachel Levin talk to the Martini-drinking regulars who frequent San Francisco's Tadich Grill, one of the oldest restaurants in the country. You'll also find our annual Best New Chefs feature inside. While we introduced the new 2025 class of F&W BNCs earlier this month and shared some of the insights from the BNC Mentorship Program, the print version always hits differently. Some BNCs have told me that the physical copy of the magazine is what actually validated their career choices as a chef in their parents' eyes. Grab one and decide for yourself.

Earlier this month, we also recognized chef-owner Diane Moua and her team in Minneapolis with Restaurant of the Year for Diane's Place, and celebrated seven dynamic kitchen and dining room employees with a new accolade called Hospitality Heroes. If you're planning a trip to New York City, check out my list of 10 restaurants that I'm loving the most right now, including The Four Horsemen and sister restaurant I Cavallini. The hospitality practiced in both spots and Nick Curtola's quietly innovative cooking will surprise, delight, and comfort you. You can plot out your next food adventure with this Google Map of our 2025 Fall Dining Guide.

Hopefully, I'll see some of you at the Southern Smoke Festival next weekend in Houston led by the organization's co-founder and executive director Lindsey Brown, the SSF team, and 2013 Best New Chef and F&W "editor in chef" Chris Shepherd.

May we all be in the spirit of the place.

Warmly,
Hunter