A Very Eater Dinner Party

THE BEST DINNER parties go by in a blur. Not necessarily because of the flowing bottles of wine and the second and third helpings of dessert — though those are great — but because of the chatter around the table. The unexpected personal connections. The shared laughter, heated debates, thinly veiled gossip, spontaneous moments of […]

Sep 23, 2025 1

THE BEST DINNER parties go by in a blur. Not necessarily because of the flowing bottles of wine and the second and third helpings of dessert — though those are great — but because of the chatter around the table. The unexpected personal connections. The shared laughter, heated debates, thinly veiled gossip, spontaneous moments of revelry. The ideal dinner party is all about the company; not just how they contribute to the vibe, but also how each guest embraces the opportunity to meet new people. Bonus points if they bring some tea to spill.

To celebrate our 20th anniversary, Eater assembled the most interesting people from across the food world for our version of the ultimate food-world dinner party. We encouraged them to pair off, based on shared experiences and expertise, into conversations that they’d find enriching (and that we think you’ll find fascinating). That’s right, you’re invited, too — read on.

_{Shot on location at the Blue Room at the Nine Orchard Hotel in New York City
Producer: Nat Belkov
Creative directors: Nat Belkov, Erin DeJesus
Photographers-directors: PEDEN+MUNK
Photo assistants: James Clark, Matthew Labarbiera
Production designer and prop stylist: Sarah Smart
Prop assistant: Alexandra Egan
Food stylist: Judy Kim
Food stylist assistant: Christine Quach
Wardrobe stylist: Marcello Flutie
Wardrobe assistant: Shanice Gray
Hair and makeup artists: Lauren Bridges, Tiffany Patton
Retouching: Tomika Davis
Production assistants: Avery Dalal, Bettina Makalintal, Emma Orlow, Jaya Saxena
Social video producer: Sergio Scardigno
Props: Marc Calello, Lindsay Lou Howard, Bordallo Pinheiro, Houses & Parties}
_{Copy editors: Nadia Q. Ahmad, Catherine Sweet}
_{Fact checker: Kelsey Lannin
Special thanks: Amanda Burkett, Luis Garza, Jess Mayhugh, Stephen Pelletteri, Mark Welker, Rachel Wong, Stephanie Wu}