How Finding their Voice Made Food & Wine Magazine Delectable Again

Zach Patton and Clay Dunn are nothing if not passionate. 

“…if you only pick up one food magazine this month, we think it should be Food & Wine,” they write in The Kitchn.

Why? According to the writers, Food & Wine’s print magazine has been floundering for the past couple of years. 

“It was clear that the magazine was struggling to find its voice under [editor-in-chief Nilou] Motamed,” they explain. “To two long-time readers like us, it seemed confused editorially, not sure what it wanted to be.”

Apparently that all began to change a year ago when Hunter Lewis took the helm as EIC.  They are now huge fans of the new direction and the current issue. 

“That’s largely due to Jordana Rothman’s excellent feature showcasing the magazine’s ‘Restaurants of the Year.’ The feature will make you want to hop on a plane ASAP — actually, multiple planes — hightailing it to any of these 10 restaurants,” they gush.

They are quick to note that the feature looks not just at the typical big city places but goes much deeper, indicative of the way mass-market publications are taking a cue from the niche trend.

“And we love that the list highlights businesses headed by the kinds of personalities who have been underrepresented in restaurant culture: women, minority chefs, the children of immigrants. Yes, there are New York City and Los Angeles restaurants, but there are also restaurants in Oakland, California, and Braddock, Pennsylvania,” they explain.

Along with the feature list comes accompanying recipes and insights, giving the audience the deep taste they are after. It does look great, and so do their other can’t-miss recommendations this month: Cooking Light’s feature on early season produce; Martha Stewart Living and their piece on Tangier Island, Virginia; and Bon Appetit’s “Summer Like an Italian” spread.

So if you’re hungry for some good reading, you’ve got your shopping list. Enjoy the feast!