The New Yorker adds a food department

The New Yorker is known for in-depth, thought-provoking articles about a variety of topics, including the occasional food article. We won’t be able to say “occasional” much longer, as the magazine announced today that it now has its own food department. As editor Michael Luo notes in his announcement, The New Yorker has a long tradition of offering quality food journalism. Previous contributors include M.F.K. Fisher, Calvin Trillin, and A.J. Liebling.

Joining the magazine as a “roving food correspondent” is James Beard award winner Helen Rosner, former executive editor at Eater. Rosner has also worked at Saveur and as a cookbook editor. Former New Yorker staffer Hannah Goldfield will serve as the magazine’s food critic, in addition to other writing duties. Goldfield frequently contributed to the New Yorker’s “Tables for Two” column, which offers brief reviews of restaurants around the city from rotating writers. 

Michael Luo tells Eater that the team anticipates Goldfield will most likely primarily write about New York City restaurants, but she may travel for criticism as well. She also won’t be limited to just providing restaurant reviews and will write about other food topics, although Luo says the final details about what the food coverage will look like are in flux. He notes that they are still “figuring out what TNY’s criticism should look like online.”