Recently in Magazines Category

The closing of Gourmet naturally had me considering the relevance of newspaper food sections. Not that I wasn't already. Ads are down, budgets are down, the number of pages are down.

In a conversation I had with Ruth Reichl, the now-defunct magazine's editor-in-chief, I couldn't help but ask for her take on whether what I'm doing (and indeed, what she did at the Los Angeles Times before her restaurant critic years) matters. Here's what she said that didn't make it into today's story:

"One of the things that's incredibly short-sighted on the part of many people who put out newspapers is they feel like if advertising isn't there in the section, it doesn't deserve to live. But if readers are interested, it deserves to live. And there's more indication that readers are more interested now in food than ever before."

We're speechless. Gourmet magazine, the food magazine of all food magazines, is being killed as parent company Conde Nast trims fat and deals with the diminished advertising market. The November issue is its last.

We're shocked. Gourmet's recipes and photography are evocative, its columnists and writers gems. Under the direction of its brilliant (not to mention influential) editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl, it has never looked or read better.

We're saddened. We're not the hoarding type -- except when it comes to Gourmet. We have boxes, literally, boxes, of the magazine dating back to the early 90s in our attic. When one of our sports columnists wanted to dump a suitcase full of his wife's Gourmet from the 70s and 80s, he asked us if we wanted to take them off his hands and we happily obliged.

Here's the power of Gourmet -- it has been published since December 1940.

Conde Nast says it will continue with Gourmet's book publishing, TV programming and Web content (epicurious.com). This decision may make sense to Conde Nast, but not to us.

A few hot dog-related thoughts:

* Oscar Mayer, THE Oscar Mayer (well, actually the third in the family), has died at the ripe age of 95.

* The August issue of Bon Appetit magazine lists the nation's 10 best new hot dog joints. Among them (surprise, surprise): Hot Doug's at 3324 N. California. New?? The BA editors must be living in a time warp. Oh well. Guess whose line just got even longer?
Also getting props is Hank's Haute Dogs in Honolulu from Henry Adaniya of Trio fame, of whom we're only slightly jealous. In the last conversation we had with the man back in 2006 as he prepared to close the doors on Trio, he said he'd always just wanted to open up a hot dog stand, a really good hot dog stand on the beach in Hawaii, where he grew up. And he did.

* There are 23 more days left of National Hot Dog Month. Eat up.

Well, darn. Food and Wine magazine's always-anticipated Best New Chefs list is out and, alas, no Chicago chefs make the cut this year.

Speculation as to who would be honored this year was fueled by F&W editor Dana Cowin's own cryptic teasers on Twitter, building up to the shindig last night in New York to fete the honorees.

The Windy City did represent a bit last night -- Top Chef-ee Stephanie Izard was among those cooking for the event.

Bon Appetit's May issue includes a guide to the United Plates of America -- that is, the best things to eat and drink in all 50 states.

Such a list was doomed from the start. We can think of about a zillion edible treasures just in our fair city alone. Anyway, the magazine's picks for Illinois: Giordano's stuffed pizza, Alinea's 'scented pillow' and the Dr. Funk of Tahiti drink at Hala Kahiki in River Grove.

And you, dear eaters -- what are your picks?