Best/Favorite Food Magazines

[Suzanne F]

Everything SOUNDS so exotic -- "Witlof, Capsicum, Gruyere and Fennel Salad" is so much more appealing than "Endive, Pepper etc etc." The styling is gorgeous. And the reversal of seasons means a refreshing change in January from "50 things to do with cabbage" to "50 things to do with bright spring veggies"

[fresh_a]

Marc-any ideas where I might get Food Arts in Paris?

[ferdlisky]

To those who like Australian Vogue and Entertaining, I actually think another Australian magazine, Australian Gourmet Traveller, is better (it's no relation to U.S. Gourmet).

As far as Cook's Illustrated goes, am I the only one who is thoroughly bored with it? I had an intense love affair with the magazine when it was first launched, but now it just makes me roll my eyes. Any magazine that can claim to have "The Best" recipe for something is completely lacking in any sense of creativity or excitement (what, we're all supposed to stop experimenting and cooking because we have THE BEST mac and cheese recipe?). Also, Christopher Kimball's editorials are just plain silly. The man seems to be a parody of himself. As for the recipes, I think their baking is good, and they should forever be held in esteem for introducing brining to the masses, but I'm just not that impressed with the rest of the food. It's rather, well...boring.

I'm kind of in the minority on Ruth Reichl's Gourmet. Kind of a mess (boy do they need some good editors there--both on the conceptual and line-editing front) but fresh, new, interesting ideas, and the recipes are the kinds of things that make me want to get into the kitchen and cook.

[joler]

Food Arts is great if you can ever get them to start your subscription. I received a confirmation number months ago, but have yet to receive a magazine.

What about Eating Well? I like that magazine, they have a lot of really interesting articles on Organics and Herbology, etc. They also have some nice travel articles. They published one on Oaxaca in the October issue that was written by Susanna Trilling. I've been on one of her culinary tours and they are quite educational... but more on that another time.

I sympathize that there is not really a good source for articles about mid-west restaurants. Nothing of the sort really exists for the South either, and while we may be behind the times in some aspects, we do have our culinary hot-spots (i.e. Charleston, Atlanta, Charlotte). Southern Living is the pitts unless you like cooking with canned cream of mushroom soup.

That said, you can stone me now when I say that I really enjoy Cooking Light. It has great articles on health and fitness and they try to keep up with current food trends. It is a real blessing for those of us who are trying to slim down and works well with the weight watchers plan too.

I've had some mixed experiences with the recipes from Saveur, although the last one I tried turned out well. Bon Appetit has become too ad-heavy, although I still subscribe. I meant to drop it and start getting Gourmet this year but I must have had a senior moment on that one.

[hjshorter]

I sympathize that there is not really a good source for articles about mid-west restaurants.  Nothing of the sort really exists for the South either, and while we may be behind the times in some aspects, we do have our culinary hot-spots (i.e. Charleston, Atlanta, Charlotte).

DC generally gets left out too, despite having a number of very good restaurants.

Thanks to a number of recommedations I just subscribed to Gastronomica.

And I too get sick of Cook's Illustrated. So often we try the "best" recipe for something and wind up disappointed.

[joler]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Eating Well" the organic foods magazine. Thoughts??

[Hopleaf]

joler, you do have to stay on top of Food Arts in order for them to fulfill your subscription. At my publisher, our assistant managing editor probably called them 5 or 6 times. Guess they finally fulfilled our subscription just to get her off their backs. But, it is a free subscription, after all. So, I can understand them being a little slow about it.

Eating Well? It's ok.

[joler]

I will pursue that Food Arts subscription again. Have you seen La Cucina Italiana? Every once in a while I'll pick up a copy at the airport - it's a really nice magazine. The website is www.italiancookingandliving.com

[joler]

oh yea, what about "Taste" (Williams-Sonoma's magazine). Nice photography/food styling.

[Steve Klc]

Joler and hjshorter--you both touch on something interesting--media coverage of second or third tier food cities--and I don't mean to start a war about what constitutes a second tier food and restaurant city--but let's just say everything below NYC, LA and SF/Napa. Or maybe everything below NY and LA. Some might say Chicago has pulled right up there. Whatever.

But you write "I sympathize that there is not really a good source for articles about mid-west restaurants. Nothing of the sort really exists for the South either, and while we may be behind the times in some aspects, we do have our culinary hot-spots (i.e. Charleston, Atlanta, Charlotte)" and also "DC generally gets left out too, despite having a number of very good restaurants."

I guess you mean mid-west restaurants outside of Chicago, because it seems every other article I read is about another hot trendy Chicago area restaurant or chef.

You've both in essence made a general observation--that deserving cities and its chefs and restaurants are not being "covered" in national publications in a fair or reasonable manner. I'd have to disagree with this at least as far as the examples you've mentioned. I'm admittedly not up to speed on Atlanta, Charlotte and Charleston personally--but gosh, Atlanta has been continually featured, their chefs and dining scene continually puffed and gushed about in national media for what, 15 years? Atlanta is clearly on that just below the top tier media map, no? Can you really make the case that historically Atlanta has NOT been represented in media in fair proportion to other 2nd tier cities in major metropolitan markets?

And yes, I'd like to read more about whether the Atlanta dining scene has continued to improve--has it? Is it getting even better, the populace more sophisticated, or has it leveled off?

Now on to Charlotte and Charleston--again I ask, because I do not know, is there really such depth, such overall culinary excellence going on in both of these cities that we haven't already read about to death? Who else is in Charleston trying to do or actually doing the job Bob Waggoner is doing--and who deserves half the TON of national ink and exposure that guy gets? Is the food and wine scene in Charlotte so deserving, so over and above "hot" than what is going on in say Richmond Virgina, Portland Maine or Oregon, Cleveland or Columbus Ohio or Louisville or on and on all across the country?

And I'll save my last reaction for DC--where I live and cook and have lived and cooked for 20 years--you have to be kidding? For 15-20 years, DC's chefs and restaurant scene, its brilliance and creativity and value and genius and ethnic diversity has been over-covered by national media--out of proportion to the skills and talent on display in say NYC and out of proportion to the actual level of really good, really interesting and creative cooking going on here. It's never quite lived up to what has been written--and written often--about it to my sense. It would be very tough for anyone to argue credibly that DC deserves MORE attention than it has received--and if you'd really like to flesh that out, I am willing to listen. Maybe you could start a thread on this in the DC board. It just seems obvious to me that DC, with its close proximity to NY and most media outlets, has benefited tremendously by a celebrity chef-fawning local food press and an equally cooperative NY media presence within arm's length.

But I guess all this points to a larger question--do you look to these national cooking magazines for national restaurant information? And if that subject were to be covered more extensively--wouldn't that make it less of a cooking and food magazine and more of a travel magazine? Are these magazines covering "restaurants" in a proper balance for you? And can you reasonably expect them to be the most authoritative source for this kind of information? Look at the disdain things like the Gourmet Top 50 restaurants in the US provoked here on this site, for instance.

[Hopleaf]

oh yea, what about "Taste" (Williams-Sonoma's magazine).  Nice photography/food styling.

Taste is a good looking publication, as is most everything Williams-Sonoma puts out. My only problem with is the fact that it's just another marketing arm. It makes me wary of the content. then again, having worked in PR I see it's evil doings everywhere. when 80% of your daily newspaper is generated by public relations professionals, it makes you wonder if anything that's written is true.

Cucina Italiana is pretty cool if you're into Italian cuisine. Their website could use some work.

[joler]

Ok, there's a ton of magazines out there that cover food and cooking.  Here's the thing, the big ones, Gourmet, Bon Appetite, Food and Wine, they all seem to focus too much on New York and LA in their restaurant reviews.  

...I realize that New York has a long tradition of setting the culinary benchmark for the rest of the country... But that doesn't mean there aren't new and interesting, or old and interesting, developments happening elsewhere.  

Your point is well taken, I was merely responding to the original post. Since I am unfortunate enough to be currently residing in what was recently referred to in "Food and Wine" as "A culinary wasteland" I am happy to read about the culinary scene in ANY city.

I think the point was that while NYC seems to be the focus, innovative and exciting things are happening elsewhere. That's the beauty of this forum, that we can make each other aware of what's happening in other parts of the country/world.

[Steve Klc]

But the mainstream magazines are doing a very decent job of this--have you not read about the exciting new things in Chicago and SF and Spain? Were you aware of Tru and Trio and El Bulli and Hiramatsu and the Fifth Floor and on and on before you read about them in magazines like Gourmet and Food & Wine? Did you know more about El Bulli before you read Phyllis Richman's article in Gourmet years ago? I doubt it. And if so, the average fine dining ethusiast didn't.

Yes, we can make others aware of the new innovative and exciting things being done elsewhere at eGullet--but I don't think the case has been made that big glossy food media drops the ball on this. They read Food Arts--so they find out about things being communicated to pros--and then they go check them out. Eventually it filters to the mainstream audience. And fairly quickly.

I submit national media is becoming aware NY is not the epicenter it once was. I don't want to be cynical here, but as a chef, if there was innovation going on in Charlotte, we'd hear about it. Chefs would be telling other chefs about it. It ain't happening. There's no Grant Achatz, Laurent Gras or Jose Andres in Charlotte. That's not to say there's not good honest cooking going on there. But you'd have to make the case there is more than just that there for the media not to be covering it as it should.

[Hopleaf]

The thing that strikes me most about the bigger food pubs that seem to focus only on NY and California is that when they do publish anything about restaurants anywhere else, they only do so after that restaurant has become quite popular in its own area. Steve, maybe this is at the heart of the issue that I, joler and others are raising. The reports on hotspots in NY and LA or SF are focussed on the cutting edge. Innovators that have just sprung up and are really doing things differently or otherwise making their mark. Conversely, it seems any mention of a Chicago restaurant strikes me as "well, no duh, where have you been?" When Gourmet runs something on Trio or Spring, it just comes off as an afterthought. Are we making an observation steeped in generalizations? Yes, to a degree. But when it becomes the norm to be a day late and a dollar short on mid-western restaurant mentions, the generalization becomes very pointed and accurate.

What would the NY dining community say if the first mention of, say, Veritas was three or four years after it opened? They'd be irritated just as we are. I'm not expecting the big three food magazines to open up bureaus here in the Windy City, but at the very least, they could be getting copies of the local papers' food sections from their clipping service.

[Lesley C]

I just heard from a pretty reliable source that Taste (Williams-Sonoma's magazine) is no longer.

[Steve Klc]

Thank you for taking the time to respond specifically and on the merits Hop and not just vent. You're in Chicago, right? So you're immersed in the scene and you're able to see that things may not be happening fast enough. Was the national glossy food media not on top of Tru and Trio and even say, Sandro Gamba moving from DC to take his star turn in Chicago? I don't know the answer, but would probably argue that they were if I had the time to do a search. But, being reasonable, isn't there always a lag time before anyone "gets" what is really going on, even locals possibly prone to puff up local talent? Isn't there always an inertia--which stems from certain local celebrity chefs dominating the scene--from a media perspective. A rounding up the usual suspects kind of mentality? Aren't many in the media sheep--who have to be led around or affected by a critical mass before jumping on the bandwagon? Don't many seek safe, comforting, reassuring accessible stories?

You write "when they do publish anything about restaurants anywhere else, they only do so after that restaurant has become quite popular in its own area." I think that's largely true but does that also mean it is unfair, unreasonable or unrealistic? I guess that's my main generalization--would you pay significantly more for this kind of quick response, the extra staff, travel and expenses? And is it realistic to look to these old media sources to act more quickly anyway?

Joler--without trying, you help prove my point. If you can't make the case here--clearly and passionately--and you're immersed in the scene, wherever you are--especially by drawing comparisons to what is going on elsewhere or what you've experienced elsewhere--how can you fairly and reasonably expect the national media to from afar?

Lesley--that's a good scoop, were it to turn out true. There's nothing I hate more than very pretty advertorials.

[joler]

I just heard from a pretty reliable source that Taste (Williams-Sonoma's magazine) is no longer. 

Sorry to hear that. No wonder I've been seeing the "annuals" on the clearance racks at Border's and TJ Maxx.

Thanks Hop, for clarifying what I could not. In my previous reference to "culinary wasteland", Food and Wine was merely printing a letter from a reader regarding a restaurant here that they termed "An oasis in a culinary wasteland" - Bistro Sofia in Greensboro, NC. "Bistro" has been in business for 5 years and is, in my opinion, one of the finest restaurants in the state, but even a letter from a reader was not enough to prompt a visit from any of the major food editors. When was the last time you saw an article on "Fearrington House"? Supposedly the only 5-star restaurant in the state of NC? The point is that there are plenty of great eateries out there. I know there's no way they could all be covered, but it would be nice if more often you would see an article in a national magazine about some out of the way place in a small town.

[joler]

Joler--without trying, you help prove my point.  If you can't make the case here--clearly and passionately--and you're immersed in the scene, wherever you are--especially by drawing comparisons to what is going on elsewhere or what you've experienced elsewhere--how can you fairly and reasonably expect the national media to from afar?

I confess. The depth of my passion was intimidated by the size of your ego.

[Steve Klc]

Egos away! Disengage if you prefer. But just to play devil's advocate here--when was the last time the chef from Fearrington House or Bistro Sofia got out nationally and networked, cooked with his/her chef colleagues in other cities, travelled at his own expense to NYC to cook for the Beard House or volunteered to participate in some big national fundraiser or charity effort, like a Windows of the World or 9/11 benefit? Chefs rally around causes, around each other and in many ways, that is how you can help put your restaurant on the media map.

I don't know if the chefs at these places have done that but can tell you this is how many chefs around the country get out and interact with media. If they are doing this--if they've learned their lessons well--then they are on their way--the media coverage will come albeit possibly a little more delayed than you might think is warranted. And other local chefs there will learn from their examples and go out and do the same thing. In DC, this happened years ago with the likes of Jean-Louis Palladin and Roberto Donna and Michel Richard and Bob Kinkead and a few others--they all learned they were stronger when they banded together, held events, propped each other up by joining in on events--and the media joined in. The younger chefs--the next generation--learned these lessons as well and it perhaps helped them get media coverage out-of-proportion and at the expense of chefs in other parts of the country. But the jig is up--it doesn't matter where you cook you can still get media attention and still get your star turn--ending up on the Food Network and in the glossies.

Paying publicists helps as well. You think NY restaurants and chefs get the attention they do just because it's easy for lazy writers to roll out of bed and into a restaurant? No, even these easily accessible NY restaurants and chefs pay for pr. They pay a publicist to have that NY Times writer just happen to stop by for lunch and try that interesting dessert infused with tobacco or that interesting liquid center white chocolate cake. That both ended up in NY Times Dining section articles at some point in the future cannot be a surprise. Magazines seem to play the same kind of game.

Is it any surprise that restaurants and chefs in "the heartland" or wherever--who have representation, who have publicists, are heard about more often and possibly at the expense of others doing good work off the beaten path?

Years ago, I once got attention from a national magazine because I wrote to them to introduce myself, said I was a nobody doing good work and sent them some pictures. I was featured in a photo spread 3 months later. If I had waited around for their editor to discover me it never would have happened. There are too many people doing good work in too many areas for any publication to stay on top on.

[Hopleaf]

Oh come on, Steve, I vented...at least a little, right?

There's no doubt that you make a very convincing arguement. Of what exactly, I'm not sure. My inclination is to understand you to be saying that we should cut The Big Three (Gourmet, Food & Wine and Bon Appetite) some slack, that our expectations shouldn't be that They are as immediately in the loop in the hinterlands as They might be in the trend-setting cities, that we should lower our expectations of Them. well, our expectations are (or at least mine are) based upon the precedent that They Themselves put forth with their coverage of NY/LA/SF. When I subscribed to Gourmet (and perhaps this is the worst example in light of this discussion) a two-year span goes by and nary a word on Chicago? That's not just excessively ignorant, but seems determinately deliberate. And what of their editorial staff block doesn't include a single prominent Chicago food writer/editor. Are you telling me that William Rice couldn't possibly be an assett to Them, if even only as a consultant?

Steve, you ask whether or not media are sheep, etc. Sad to say, that's probably the best description for most of them. Having ventured out, formed relationships and fostered business partnerships with many of them for the sinister purpose of advancing my clients brand messages, I know what goes on. Many media types ONLY rely upon PR, waiting for the next media alert or press release to drive them to the next story, many end up brazenly lifting copy DIRECTLY from press materials. That being said, there are quite a few that have made efforts not to become sheep. Many have once been us; discerning media consumers that can smell a puff piece as well as a dirty rat. Those few are the exceptions. But the thing that I'm thinking when you bring up media and sheep in the same sentence is, well, then are you suggesting that if up and coming restauranteers in Chicago (and elsewhere) want to get the coverage that their exceptional food deserves, then all they need to do is a better job of connecting with the sheep?

Is there inertia. yes. is it fair? is the lag reasonable? yes. Yes, when there actually is coverage of some sort. Tru, Trio, Spring, etc. these are all examples of restaurants around which the buzz generated enough reverb to be measured on New York's food scene Richter scale. But what of some regular attention. I'm not asking for major feature pieces that extoll Chicago's restaurants above others. I'm asking for regular, consistent coverage. And I don't see this as adding expense. In this day and age it would mearly require an established relationship with those in the know, specifically those food writers here that cover our scene (the same could be established with others in sundry parts of the hinterlands). An email here, an email there. Then when warranted, a trip to my fair city to partake of, say, a relatively unknown but, IMO, an exceptional restaurnat The Outpost (Clark and Newport for any interested). See what I mean? It's about effort. I don't think it's there.

Steve, you ask a lot of questions. I hope I've answered a few.

Edit: spoilt it rong.

Edited February 6, 2003 by Hopleaf (log)

[ferdlisky]

Bon Appetit seems to make some effort to cover restaurants outside NY/LA (granted, they're not really focussed on restaurants in their coverage). The Feb issue has a section called Restaurant Reporter that covers Philadelphia, Florida, Hawaii, and LA, as well as North Italy. And I'm pretty sure I've seen articles on dining out in places like Salt Lake City, Cleveland, Denver, etc.

[joler]

I have to admit, I agree with Steve on one point and that is, that in the end it is all about the all mighty dollar. A tiny restaurant with mediocre food in Greenwich, CT owned by Martha Stewart's 3rd cousin twice removed is much more likely to get a column than our local favorite.

[Steve Klc]

Bravo Hop--yes you have answered more than just a few. We now have a lot of common ground it seems. And basically what I'm (uncharacteristically) saying is Gourmet and Food & Wine deserve more slack than some on this thread had given them on this narrow issue of NY/LA restaurant bias. (I personally don't include Bon Apetit in this group, too middling populist, too amateurish, too homey.) My turn, you ask "are you suggesting that if up and coming restauranteers in Chicago (and elsewhere) want to get the coverage that their exceptional food deserves, then all they need to do is a better job of connecting with the sheep?"

My answer, yes. We may have cross-posted but I got into that a bit above with getting "out of the house" and getting representation--both of these actions puts the onus on the chef and restaurant to go out and network, to travel, and yes, spend some more money. It usually is not enough to just do good work. We have all talked somewhat about playing the game on this site. I see this as an integral part of it. You go out and get media by doing good work and getting involved not by waiting for media to find you. This is true whether you work in NY or in Charlotte.

I also think the maturity of a region or of a local has something to do with it. I tried to explain a little of how I see that with my DC celebrity chef mentor hypothesis above. Some of these cities and regions are just a little behind the curve--they got started a little late, learned how to play the game a little late, but now are rushing ahead. They've figured out how to get attention. Of course it always helps that you actually do good work.

The Chicago--Bill Rice--magazine masthead observation is your strongest and I can't refute that. I agree with you. All I could say in response would be local sources--especially newspaper food writers and editors--are often the conduit for this information if not formally than informally. When "NY writers" are in town, they'll often dine with local food writers--they are themselves networking, lining up possible freelance gigs, letting each other know who is doing what--and they of course do this in local restaurants, making introductions all around. Sometimes, this happens on the sly--for editorial or journalistic reasons. But it still happens. I found out yesterday that a very powerful food editor took a very famous cookbook author to Zaytinya and had a great lunch. She didn't tell Jose in advance and didn't tell me until after the fact. Sometimes as chefs you know when writers and media are coming in--and are very clearly made aware!--and sometimes it just happens. But I do feel whether on the masthead or not local food media and local chefs do drive who gets covered locally--the national media turns to these local sources.

So part of it is having savvy local media with national connections and relationships.

I guess we just differ on how quickly this exchange should happen--I'm cutting F&W and Gourmet some slack and you're turning the screws a bit. I also don't think we see eye-to-eye on whether it is reasonable for F&W and Gourmet to meet the NY/LA/SF standard they set w/r/t other cities. At the national glossy level I just don't think the resources, judgement and space is in place to give all these cities regular and consistent coverage that would satisfy the passionate Hopleafs in all the second tier cities. Good arguments on both sides--a difference in degree--but if you're a subscriber--where might you be more likely to go? NY, LA, SF. So might internal resources always be inherently unbalanced because those editors believe their readers want the coverage to be this slanted? As I said, I don't know. But putting a local name on a masthead won't necessarily help--it's still the editor's call and the editor probably already knows how he/she feels on the issue!

Now we're at what someone at the editorial level decides to do with this information and how it is then prioritized--gosh, who knows! I had tried to get Food Arts to cover what I thought was the amazing undiscovered food and wine scene in Ontario and Niagara on the Lake--to find an excuse to stick that into an article--any article--because NOTL deserved it. They were going to be hot, I had been there alot and KNEW it, so why not get ahead of the media curve. Be the first magazine to cover the region extensively like when Saveur magazine brilliantly outed the Anderson Valley as this amazing destination years ago before anyone else. And I was on the FA masthead! Instead, the mag covered the Hudson Valley food and wine scene, for me a vastly inferior food and wine area in comparison to NOTL. I had been there as well. Dreck. Editors and publishers account for these things regardless of who is on the masthead.

And I think in time you are proved right or wrong but only by people who pay really close attention to things like this. For many, who have moved on to the next new thing--and not necessarily the next good thing--what has been covered, the mistakes or errors of emphasis--have been forgotten.

[Aurora]

The thing that strikes me most about the bigger food pubs that seem to focus only on NY and California is that when they do publish anything about restaurants anywhere else, they only do so after that restaurant has become quite popular in its own area. Steve, maybe this is at the heart of the issue that I, joler and others are raising. The reports on hotspots in NY and LA or SF are focussed on the cutting edge. Innovators that have just sprung up and are really doing things differently or otherwise making their mark. Conversely, it seems any mention of a Chicago restaurant strikes me as "well, no duh, where have you been?" When Gourmet runs something on Trio or Spring, it just comes off as an afterthought. Are we making an observation steeped in generalizations? Yes, to a degree. But when it becomes the norm to be a day late and a dollar short on mid-western restaurant mentions, the generalization becomes very pointed and accurate.

What would the NY dining community say if the first mention of, say, Veritas was three or four years after it opened? They'd be irritated just as we are. I'm not expecting the big three food magazines to open up bureaus here in the Windy City, but at the very least, they could be getting copies of the local papers' food sections from their clipping service.

Hopleaf - I hear what you are saying, but I would argue that with one or two acceptions, or own food media doesn't do a very good, consistent job of championing it's own. I cannot count the number of times I have gone to the food sections of our local papers to see articles taken from news wires about restaurants and chefs from somewhere far from Chicago.

I have frequently found out more about things happening in Chicago from the glossy mags than I have from our own local food media, who at times seem to be taking their signals from the glossy mags as to what is important to write about. Sometimes, it feels as if local food writers must have validation from the big name publications about subjects that are new, good and innovative. It shouldn't be that way.

There are certainly exceptions, but not many, and the general cautiousness of our food media bolsters Steve's point.

[Hopleaf]

Hopleaf - I hear what you are saying, but I would argue that with one or two acceptions, or own food media doesn't do a very good, consistent job of championing it's own.  I cannot count the number of times I have gone to the food sections of our local papers to see articles taken from news wires about restaurants and chefs from somewhere far from Chicago.

I have frequently found out more about things happening in Chicago from the glossy mags than I have from our own local food media, who at times seem to be taking their signals from the glossy mags as to what is important to write about.  Sometimes, it feels as if local food writers must have validation from the big name publications about subjects that are new, good and innovative.  It shouldn't be that way.

There are certainly exceptions, but not many, and the general cautiousness of our food media bolsters Steve's point.

Aurora, you must be reading the Sun-Times!! I jest, of course (though, I am partial to the Trib). You've expressed your displeasure with the job our local food media does in the past; then and now I don't agree. Are there improvements that can be made to local coverage as well? Of course there is. But that's true of any media city, NY as well. It is about expectations. Learning from the glossies what you think you should've learned from those that leave smudgy ink on your fingers? I suggest that perhaps you missed it. Three (four counting the Daily Southtown) major newspapers in a city and I hasten to guess that you can't be reading all of them. Do they look to others for validation on what's gonna interest their readers, what's hip and en vogue? Let's remember Jeannie McManus' eGullet Q&A from about a year ago in which she told us that she came up through the ranks not through the food section, as might be expected, but through the sports section and, I think, the city desk. She learned that news was irrefutable. It was current, there's a buzz. If that buzz happens to be coming from the glossies, so be it. I don't have any issue with the NY food establishment (glossies included) setting the course. My only arguement is that they stop buzzing for a moment to smell the roses in other cities.

joler, I don't think Steve's just saying that it comes down to money. Take a closer look, you might find something different.

Steve, I think your right, we did cross-post because after I read yours on 'getting out there,' I agree completely. there has GOT to be some effort on the part of the restaurant, in particular the chef. Long gone are the days when the food will speak for itself, if ever there were. A restaurant hinging success on word-of-mouth alone is destined for failure. At any rate, you give me pause. I'm gonna try to take a different approach with some of your comments in mind. In the same vein, I would hope you keep an eye out for any, um, shall we say, news from the wastelands?