New Yorkers can eat their way through some of the busiest restaurants this weekend as EEEEEATSCON returns to Hudson River Park’s Pier 76 on Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4.
The annual food festival from Infatuation will bring together restaurants from New York and across the country for two days, full of food, exclusive collaborations, and interactive experiences.
This year’s lineup includes a variety of snapshots of New York’s value right now. From Golden Dinner, Café Panna, Mei Lai Wah, Charles Pan-Fried Chicken, Adda, Bark Barbeque, Noz Market, and Ramen by Ra, alongside out-of-town restaurants including North Carolina’s 321 Coffee, Maine’s Eventide Oyster Co., and Los Angeles’ Miya Miya. Attendees can also expect collaborations created specifically for the weekend. Golden HOF and Bahn Anh Em will team up for banh mi specials, while Counter Service will collaborate with Sunn’s.
Editor-in-Chief Arden Shore shared how New Yorkers tend to lean into specific recommendations for specific occasions. Suppose it’s where to take your parents, where to go on a date, and where to celebrate a birthday. However, Arden notes that skepticism has shifted over the years.
“Now, going out to eat is expensive,” she said. “Is it worth it?” is the looming question we seek to answer beneath the recommendation.
With Infatuation’s list of recommendations, Shore distinguishes between hype and a restaurant’s overall value.
“Sometimes the restaurants we love are impossible restaurants, and sometimes they are places truly flying under the radar,” she shared. “Our goal is to have our fingers on the pulse of the local restaurant scene.”
Infatuation’s writers visit between 5 and 10 restaurants a week and sometimes return to the same restaurant multiple times, ordering different things before writing a formal review. In food reporting, other factors go into the process, such as service, atmosphere consistency, and value. For a cherished restaurant, Shore notes that buzz is fun, especially with restaurants in New York City, but staying power is what drives people to come back for more.
“Great hospitality, a unique perspective, or a dish they keep craving months later, repeat visits are the real test,” she says.
For first-time visitors to the EEEEEEATSCON, Arden recommends the lobster roll at Eventide, barbecue at Bark Barbecue, ice cream at Caffe Panna, and hand-pulled noodles at 1915 Lanzhou.
“I also wouldn’t leave without trying the collaboration between Golden HOF and Bánh Anh Em-you can get a Bánh Anh Em banh mi with beef cheek kali from Golden HOF this weekend only,” she says.
Looking at New York’s dining trends, Shore says she’s noticed a shift toward bakeries, particularly specialty cafes, regional cuisines, and more casual concepts. For restaurants in 2026, Arden believes diners are constantly looking for pure personalization. For example, Hani’s, Caffe Panna, and restaurants focused on a particular regional cuisine can all feel like a destination, Shore said.
“The most exciting places aren’t always the fanciest, but they usually have a clear idea and something you can’t stop thinking about.”
With social media taking over the For You page and food influencers left and right, it has completely changed how people discover restaurants and even taste buds. Nowadays, social media can make a restaurant explode almost overnight.
“Going viral isn’t the same result as being worth recommending,” she said. “Social media helps get you through the door, so we help explain what happens once you’re inside.”
For Shore, here are a few values that make a restaurant worth traveling for.
“Don’t overthink it; that could be through nostalgia, warm service, an incredibly delicious meal, or some combination of all the above,” she said. “There’s no single formula; any great restaurant is worth traveling for!”
Beyond the food, New York or Nowhere and Chase will debut exclusive Cookie merchandise as part of the brands’ first Sesame Street collaborations. Cookie Monster Cookie Cart will offer a special gift with purchases from Treats by Winston, with Cookie Monster himself scheduled to make appearances throughout the weekend.
Apple TV and Chase Sapphire will host an immersive experience spotlighting Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook and Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, featuring live conversations, culinary experiences, and photo opportunities.
EEEEEATSCON will run from 12 to 6 p.m. for general admission on both days at Pier 76, 408 12th Avenue. Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Preferred, and Sapphire Reserve for Business cardmembers can enter beginning at 11 a.m.
General admission tickets are $25, including taxes and fees, and are available exclusively to Chase credit and debit cardholders through EEEEEATSCON’s website.
For more information, visit: https://www.eeeeeatscon.com/
