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The Demise of Gourmet Magazine, A Cultural Icon

by · October 9th, 2009
Food Writing, News, NYTimes, Opinion, Personal Story, Seasonality

After 70 years of publication, Conde Nast is ceasing publication of Gourmet magazine, while maintaining its support of Bon Appetit magazine.  As with many (most?) corporate decisions, it was a precipitous one, announced to its staff on Monday just as the November issue was off the presses.

As an immigrant to this country, I learned about the cultural rituals of my new country through the Girls Scouts manual– obtained from my small, neighborhood library, another American treasure– and later on, the pages of the food magazines.  The National Geographic was too arcane for me, but Bon Appetit broadened my cultural horizons past my family’s tenement apartment in New York’s Chinatown.  It showed me what people really do eat in their own homes and how to prepare their dishes.  It gave me a cultural passport, even before I could afford to travel on my own salary.

The New York Times reported on Gourmet’s demise in its Wednesday’s Food section—my favorite section of the whole week!—and noted that now-prominent chefs and food writers were weaned on the pages and recipes of Gourmet and how it provided a “home for literate, thoughtful food writing.  Its stable of contributors included James Beard, Laurie Colwin, and M.F.K. Fisher…”  It even quoted Alice Waters saying that a “review in Gourmet used to mean everything. ‘Yes, you could be in The New York Times, but that was sort of fleeting.  Gourmet was just a bigger cultural picture.’”

Well, if you’re not a subscriber (who may be getting the good-bye letter by now), you’re out of luck.  The newsstands and bookstores did not get any additional copies and they’re most likely sold out by now.  You could check with your local library.   Me, I’m relishing my September issue of Gourmet, which was billed as the “The Ultimate Harvest Cookbook” with recipes for everything in season from A (apples) to Z (zucchini).

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7 Responses to “The Demise of Gourmet Magazine, A Cultural Icon”

  1. Julie Steinberg Says:
    October 9th, 2009 at 7:29 am

    Thanks for posting this. I was also very sad when the news came, and am trying to fill the void with a new rag. Cooks Illustrated may be the next best thing.

  2. Hannah Lee Says:
    October 12th, 2009 at 6:14 am

    The irony of Cook’s Illustrated is that it was bought by Conde Nast (in 1990?) and promptly closed down as a competitor to its food publications. The founder, Christopher Kimball, re-started his magazine in 1993 by using a subscriber-based model, forgoing advertising revenue. Lo and behold, it’s alive and thriving in 2009.

  3. Julie Steinberg Says:
    October 12th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

    I saw his Op-Ed piece in the NYT and thought that was interesting. Hopefully the rest of media will figure out creative ways to stick around. Meanwhile, I like my subscription very much. The online content in particular is really terrific – great how to videos and the recipe archive goes back to the mag’s inception.

  4. Cecily Says:
    October 13th, 2009 at 8:32 am

    I like the illustrations in Cook’s Illustrated a lot but find it very meat-centric. I ended my subscription with them because it didn’t suit my needs as a vegetarian but I still enjoy reading them once in a while at friends’ homes. Gourmet really had a classy big time feel that Cook’s doesn’t achieve either. Thanks for the post Hannah.

  5. Jane Walter Says:
    October 21st, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    Today, my son informed me of Gourmet’s demise. I feel like I’ve lost a friend. He has subscribed for me over the last few years. I’ve found recipes and made wonderful dishes from just about every issue. The articles about far distant lands and their cuisine took me to places I didn’t know existed. Gourmet will truly be missed.

  6. Deanna Peterson Says:
    October 25th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

    I must say I did not like the recent direction Gourmet had gone with their photos and graphics, but I have been a devoted reader for 30 years. When I started subscribing, I was a fledgiling 19 year old cook. It has been an integral part of my culinary education and helped me become the successful home cook that I am today. A sad sad day.

  7. tamar goodman Says:
    November 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am

    I am still sitting in disbelief at the demise of Gourmet. Truly it is the end of an era and for me personally, a testament to the old adage that time marches on and not always in a positive way. I, too was none to thrilled with the direction that Ms. Reichl took the mag. Perhaps if she had been replaced sooner, some damage control could have salvaged things: a restaurant critic does not an editor-in-chief make. I think she is a good writer, but never had a sense of what Gourmet was all about.

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