RIP Gault-Millau magazine

[magnolia]

Gault-Millau magazine has suspended publication as of the last issue of 2002. The cover date on it says "December 2002/first trimester of 2003". I called to see what this meant, as I was thinking of subscribing - and the subscription ticket indicates that there are 10 issues per year - and the customer service rep said they are no longer publishing but could not offer any other info.

There's nothing in the magazine that indicates what happened, or why - no 'closure' whatsoever. I don't know whether this affects their books.

This is a shame, as G-M, along with Saveurs, is the only French 'foodie' magazine of any consequence - one that makes me want to eat or travel, and that's any fun to read. At the risk of sounding snobby, the rest make a pitifully small handful of sort of down-market supermarket check-out genre magazines - low production values, recipes like"101 things to do with canned corn', that kind of thing.

Anyone have any insight?

[cabrales]

I am a subscriber -- no wonder I have not received a magazine in a while. I wonder if I can get my money back. The last version I received had a "drawn" cover, and featured game (gibiers).

[magnolia]

Can't hurt to try...The December issue has a picture of what looks like a papier mâché rhino with it's butt to the camera, against a backdrop of the Eiffel tower. The main feature is "special paris"- bistros a vins, restos a themes (something to add to our discussion of restaurant category confusion!)

[Bux]

... restos a themes (something to add to our discussion of restaurant category confusion!)

The Guide Michelin recently added a page devoted to a list of "New Concept" restaurants to it's Paris pages. I'm not sure they can all be categorized easily but they all seem to break the traditional mold. In some cases, by reputation alone, I might attempt to dismiss them as being trendy, but some of them have received good reviews for the food.

I'm sorry to see Gault Millau go, if it's gone. The annual guide is usually out well before Michelin's Guide Rouge, so we should know soon if there's to be a 2003 GaultMillau guide. It would seem as if the work for it should have been done while the almost monthly magazine was being produced, but they really don't have to cover everything in France well, to produce ten issues of the magazine. I think it's been a less influential guide since Gault and Millau have gone, but both the magazine and guide woould be missed.

[marcus]

The Gault Millau website indicates that the 2003 restaurant guide will be available Feb. 13. Time will tell, but I see no indication that it won't be available. I have noticed for several weeks that the magazine no longer appears on their website, which is now used only to advertize their books: restaurants, wine, food and wine products, and an encyclopedia of taste. There is also the ability to search the current restaurant guide.