Gourmet (magazine)

Gourmet
Editor in chiefRuth Reichl (1999–2009)
Former editorsGail Zweigenthal (1991–1998)
Jane Montant (1980–1991)
Earle R. MacAusland (1941–1980)
FrequencyMonthly
PublisherEarle R. MacAusland (1941–1980)[1]
Condé Nast (1983–2009)
First issueJanuary 1941[1]
Final issueNovember 2009[2]
CountryUSA
Based inNew York City[3]
Websitegourmet.com
ISSN0017-2553

Gourmet magazine was a monthly publication of Condé Nast and the first U.S. magazine devoted to food and wine.[1] The New York Times noted that "Gourmet was to food what Vogue is to fashion."[4] Founded by Earle R. MacAusland (1890–1980), Gourmet, first published in January 1941,[5] also covered "good living" on a wider scale, and grew to incorporate culture, travel, and politics into its food coverage. James Oseland, an author and editor in chief of rival food magazine Saveur, called Gourmet "an American cultural icon."[6]

The magazine's contributors included James Beard, Laurie Colwin, M.F.K. Fisher, Lucius Beebe, George Plimpton, Anita Loos, Paul Theroux, Ray Bradbury, Annie Proulx, Elizabeth David, Madhur Jaffrey, and David Foster Wallace, whose essay "Consider the Lobster" appeared in Gourmet in 2004.[6][7][8]

On October 5, 2009, Condé Nast announced that Gourmet would cease monthly publication by the end of 2009, due to a decline in advertising sales[9] and shifting food interests among the readership.[10] Editor Ruth Reichl, in the middle of a tour promoting the Gourmet Today cookbook, confirmed that the magazine's November 2009 issue, distributed in mid-October, was the magazine's last.[2]

The Gourmet brand continues to be used by Condé Nast for book and television programming and recipes appearing on Epicurious.com.[9] Since the end of its regular run, Condé Nast has also used the Gourmet brand in a series of special edition magazines, covering niches ranging from grilling and Italian food, to quick recipes, holiday foods, and comfort foods.

  1. ^ a b c "America's First Food Magazine Turns 60". Business Wire. FindArticles. August 28, 2001. Archived from the original on October 21, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2009. Gourmet founder Earle R. MacAusland acted as editor and publisher from the first issue in 1941 until his death in 1980.
  2. ^ a b "Ruth Reichl: A New Book And The End Of 'Gourmet'". Fresh Air. NPR. October 14, 2009. Archived from the original on October 19, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
  3. ^ "Gourmet Magazine". Cook's Info. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  4. ^ Clifford, Stephanie (6 October 2009). "Condé Nast Closes Gourmet and 3 Other Magazines". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  5. ^ Stephanie Clifford (October 5, 2009). "Condé Nast to Close Gourmet, Cookie and Modern Bride". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Severson, Kim (6 October 2009). "Closing the Book on Gourmet". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  7. ^ Reichl, Ruth (2003). Endless Feasts: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet. ISBN 0375759921.
  8. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2021-02-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ a b Jessica Dickler (October 5, 2009). "Gourmet magazine dies after 70 years". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on April 21, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  10. ^ "Gourmet Magazine, 1941–2009: A recipe for obsolescence". The Boston Globe. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original on October 9, 2009. Retrieved October 7, 2009.