Serena Dai

About

Hello! I'm an editor, reporter, writer, and digital strategist with significant experience in the food, drink, and culture space. I used to lead the digital team at Bon Appétit, and before that I led the food and wine team at The San Francisco Chronicle and the news and criticism team at Eater NY. I started my career as local news reporter and very online blogger, and eventually, I shifted toward big-picture editorial packages, leading editorial teams, and overhauling newsroom workflows for digital audience growth. My work has spanned styles and genres: service journalism, lifestyle stories, opinions and reviews, identity and race essays, breaking news and investigations, recipes, and very, very silly blog posts. In 2017, I spearheaded the exclusive investigation about the alleged sexual misconduct of celebrity chef Mario Batali and the culture at his restaurants for Eater NY. I've edited prominent restaurant and wine critics in New York and San Francisco, and I've commissioned award-winning writing—work that has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation and “The Best American Food Writing” essay collections. I also pitched and hosted the first two seasons of Cult Following, an Eater video series about restaurants that inspire obsession, and have appeared as a speaker on video, at live events, and in podcasts, including on the Netflix show Ugly Delicious. My writing has appeared on Bon Appétit, The San Francisco Chronicle, Eater, The Atlantic, New York magazine, and the local news site DNAinfo, among other places. I've had a personal newsletter called The Daigest since 2014.