From Scratch

My manifesto

I remember running into an old family friend who works with my mom in the parking lot of their office. I have no idea why I was there. My sister drove us — I think I was thirteen. When the guy spotted us, he said he had leftover Chicken McNuggets in his car and asked if we wanted to finish them. We both said no, we were fine. Then, he yelled from across the parking lot.

“C’mon Stephen! Aren’t you always hungry?”

Well, I am.

Welcome to From Scratch.

This is my weekly newsletter about what I cook, shake, and stir; how I eat, drink, and dance; and where I do it in New York City. I’ve written about tips for peeling ginger and an obsolete cocktail, reviewed a TikTok coffee fad and a barbecue dry rub, and observed The Closing of a Venetian Fish Market. From Scratch will cover everything from Chicken McNuggets stuck in a stuffy car to the city’s finest offerings.

Whether a born-and-raised New Yorker or a thrown-in transplant, one thing remains true about post-grads in the city: We’re all starting a new life here.

That’s my audience — the 20-somethings trying to understand nine-to-five life in NYC, munching and sipping along the way.

This will be a weekly round-up of the notable things I eat and drink — whether a beautiful bottle of Grenache, an overhyped West Village spot, or a lamb gyro from the halal truck outside my subway stop. Each week, I’ll pop into your inbox with my review of hot new restaurants, affordable weeknight meals, emerging dining trends, and buzzy food and beverage events — and how our eating and drinking culture reflects what it’s like living our 20s in the 2020s.

This will be unedited, unplugged Stephen Bradley. I’m always hungry, and I hope you are, too.

I’ll be making budget meals, tasting the city’s finest food, bouncing around its booziest bars, and learning how to navigate post-grad life in New York City — from scratch.