Remember Liam, the 3rd grader who wrote a fantastic essay about his visit to ink. a few months back? Well, he's at it again, this time putting his efforts towards a review of Hart and the Hunter. 
Anne Fishbein The Hart and the Hunter
It's all about doughnuts (or donuts) in the March issue of Saveur, out now on newsstands. The cover promises a list of the world's best inside. But according to features article contributor Michael Krondol, who's working on an upcoming book on the pastries, "though donuts take on countless shapes, textures, and forms around the world, it's in America where these fried cakes came of age." 
Samantha Bonar Peach Donuts at Donut Man
Bravo Lam
Francis Lam is a well-respected food writer. He is also the least ridiculous judge on Top Chef Masters. And a keen Twitter wit, which would make him a Twit, though not in the bad sense. Francis Lam likes food a lot. He has chopsticks tattooed on his person. He also likes football.
We don't follow many people on Twitter, but it seems our meager feed is invariably dominated by media personalities who, regardless of their areas of expertise, prefer sharing opinions about sports to discussing what they know. However, Lam's mildly pro-Packer commentary is special enough to warrant actually logging on to our Twitter account. We'd just as soon hear him parse Colin Kaepernick's "smurf" looks than weigh the merits of some sweaty TCM contestant's bogus risotto.
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The L.A. Weekly has an immediate opening for a part-time food blogger. 
A. Scattergood Bastide
We're looking for a stylish writer capable of accurate reporting, astute observation and, yes, the occasional striking photo. The ability to generate multiple story ideas each day is important, as is knowledge of food in general and the L.A. dining scene in particular.
This job is part-time -- we estimate about 25 hours a week -- but it's salaried, and it also includes full benefits, including vacation, sick pay and an expense account.
Please send a resume, cover letter, and links to three recent pieces of published work to sfenske(at)laweekly.com.
It was only a matter of time. Word came down from the Hollywood studios last night that Jonathan Gold, current food critic for the L.A. Times and former critic for the L.A. Weekly will be the subject of a new untitled documentary directed by Laura Gabbert (No Impact Man), per the Hollywood Reporter. 
LA Weekly J. Gold in disguise
According to Gold, the film will "[use] me as a prism through which to look at food as a prism looking at Los Angeles," adding, "and you wouldn't believe how fetching I look in a burqa."
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If you happen to take a look at this week's issue of The New Yorker, you'll find a rather lengthy of profile of chef Craig Thornton and his underground dining experience Wolvesmouth, written by Dana Goodyear, the L.A.-based New Yorker staffer who also penned award-winning profiles of James Cameron and food critic Jonathan Gold. In my opinion, it's a spectacular piece, and a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in the city's shifting haute-dining scene -- but then again, I'm probably a little biased. 
G. Snyder Veggie Course at Wolvesmouth
In my free time spent away from the Weekly, I work as a part-time member of the Wolvesmouth crew (I've done so for about a year) mostly trying to do whatever grunt tasks are needed and staying out of the way of more intricate kitchen work. It's been an indescribably revelatory experience to say the least, and I like to think my knife skills have improved to the point when quickly brunoise-ing celery root into tiny cubes won't risk me losing a thumb.
Around six months ago, Dana Goodyear began to shadow Craig on a near-daily basis, with plans to write a piece on underground chefs in Los Angeles. Goodyear quickly fell down the rabbit hole of Thornton's life, though, and what was planned to be a rather short piece unfolded into one of the longest profiles she has ever written for the New Yorker. She delved into Thorton's personal life in ways no one had before; nothing seemed off limits.
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Liam is 9 years old, and he cares deeply about food. 
B. Rodell Liam Waldman's 3rd grade essay anout ink.
I first heard about Liam from my son. They share a 3rd grade classroom, and stories began to trickle home about bizarre restaurant smackdowns happening between the two of them. It was a classic tale of childish one-upmanship -- but instead of boasting about who has the best video games or baseball card collection, the two of them were tussling over dining. "Have you been to Animal?" Liam would ask.
"Yes," my kid replied, "have you been to Milo & Olive?"
"I've been to Fig & Olive. How about ink?"
It turns out, ink is Liam's favorite restaurant, so much so that he wrote an all-important school assignment about his visit there. I got my hands on his essay, and got permission from Liam and his parents to reprint it here. We've kept Liam's spelling and punctuation intact because it's awesome. Enjoy.
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On his blog today, Michael Ruhlman asks, "Is it justifiable for me, known and read primarily for writing about food, cooking, and the work of the professional kitchen, to voice my opinion on a matter unrelated to food?" The blog post, titled "Vote! (a question to readers & a free signed Ruhlman's 20)," comes four years after Ruhlman posted about the last presidential election with a post titled "Vote Obama." Ruhlman now says he thinks he was wrong to write that post, because no one should tell anyone else how to vote. But he does wonder if it's fair for food writers to express their opinions on things that don't directly relate to food. He goes on to say "I wonder is there anything unrelated to food?"
LaMenta3 via flickrtd> Political lunch boxes
Does food writing matter? It's a question that food writers ask themselves in moments of self-doubt, and it's a question Monica Bhide asked on her blog back in August. When there's so much going on in the world, does what we eat and cook warrant our time and attention as writers?
peteoshea via flickr
Since Bhide posed the question, there have been many responses from food writers (not surprisingly, I've yet to come across a response that says "nahhh ... it's just fun!"). But the one that comes across as most convincing is Michael Ruhlman's, which was published on The Huffington Post's food blog yesterday.
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The Association of Food Journalists conference is taking part right now in Washington D.C., and this afternoon over lunch the ceremony took place for the AFJ's annual awards. 42 winners were announced in 13 catagories. 
LA Weekly took home two prizes during the awards: Food Editor Amy Scattergood took second place for Best Food Blog for this here blog you're reading, Squid Ink. Freelancer Beth Barrett took first place in the Best Newspaper Food News Story with her LA Weekly story, "L.A. Farmers Markets Exposed."
I took first place for Best Newspaper Special Food Project for my 2011 Food Issue for Creative Loafing in Atlanta, which focused on the cooks, servers and bartenders of that city.
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