Stephanie Wu Eater Editor-in-Chief Product Recommendations

The Expert Edit features interviews with specialists about the products they swear by in their chosen field. For the latest installment, we spoke to Eater editor-in-chief Stephanie Wu about the new Eater app, her advice for those looking to break into the media industry, as well as her personal must haves and product recommendations.

Eater editor-in-chief Stephanie Wu has plenty of experience in the publishing world. Her early obsession with magazines growing up in Taiwan led her to a journalism career with stints at Town & Country, Travel + Leisure, and Condé Nast Traveler, where she’s covered everything from fashion and beauty to food, culture, and travel. Today, she couldn’t be prouder of the newly launched Eater restaurant app, which quite literally puts users onto the map, allowing them to search nearby for editor-recommended spots and dishes, and even lock in a reservation right then and there.

“It’s not just what you eat that matters, but also where you do it — and who you dine with.”

Wu is constantly thinking about the ways in which her brand can touch the lives of others who share similar passions, from cookbooks and travel guides to cookware and YouTube. The new app is proof that she wants to extend Eater’s influence in the restaurant world. “I love restaurants because they are about so much more than just food. They’re about hospitality and feeling taken care of, they build a menu that provides a glimpse into a chef’s mind and personal history, and they create a setting that you want to return to repeatedly,” she says. “I’m always visiting new places, but I try to keep in mind that it’s not just what you eat that matters, but also where you do it — and who you dine with.”

Wu is a mom of two toddlers, and she’s busy balancing her family life and career alongside her husband. Her biggest piece of advice for someone trying to do the same — or even someone looking to break into the industry — is to consume the media you want to work in as much as possible. “If you spend all your time watching videos on social channels, that’s an extremely different platform from editing for a website. If you prefer words, writing features and writing for a newsletter are vastly different skills,” she explains. “Figure out the medium that you’re naturally drawn to, and you’ll be a stronger writer/producer/designer for it.”

Beyond her wise words of wisdom, Wu has plenty of shopping recommendations for travel, leisure, and, of course, food. Click through her personal must haves to discover her go-to sweatshirt for wearing on a plane, and her favorite spice that adds a kick to all her dishes and makes for a great gift this holiday season.