Gourmet Mag Can't Eat Another Bite

In case you haven't heard the news, Gourmet Magazine, that 68-year-old veteran of food and travel writing, is hanging up its apron following the publication of its November issue. Mag owner Conde Nast announced that the glossy -- still one of the most respected venues for food writing in the...

By John Linn

October 5, 2009

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In case you haven't heard the news, Gourmet Magazine, that 68-year-old veteran of food and travel writing, is hanging up its apron following the publication of its November issue. Mag owner Conde Nast announced that the glossy -- still one of the most respected venues for food writing in the world -- was no longer economically viable.

Personally, Gourmet has always been an inspiration for me, a mag where food and culture converged. Its stories were always about food first but managed to describe something greater in the process. Editor Ruth Reichl never fell for the trap of chronicling solely what's hip but instead delved into what's interesting. That rag had some passion -- it was worlds better than its contemporaries, which often chose to cling to celeb chefs and trends instead of braving new paths. Based on the closure, it's obvious how that business decision turned out.

My only complaint: My last subscription was shorted by two issues, damn it. So if anyone in subs is listening, you may want to get on that. Soon. Please?

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