The Best American Food Writing 2018

Selected by Ruth Reichl, “punchy and vibrant” essays on food, its place on our tables, in our lives, and in our world (Publishers Weekly).

The twenty-eight pieces in this volume are about food, yet touch on every pillar of society: from the sense memories that connect a family, to the scientific tinkering that gives us new snacks to share, to the intersections of culinary culture with some of our most significant political issues. Included among other essays are:

• “Revenge of the Lunch Lady” by Jane Black, food writer for the Washington Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal
• “How Driscoll’s Reinvented the Strawberry” by Dana Goodyear, author of Anything that Moves
• “Who Owns Uncle Ben?” by Shane Mitchell, James Beard Award winner and Saveur contributing editor
• “Is Dinner for Two Worth $1,000?” by Jonathan Gold, Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times restaurant critic

At times a celebration, at times a critique, at times a wondrous reverie, The Best American Food Writing 2018 is brimming with delights both circumspect and sensuous. Dig in!

“For pure food writing fun, it’s hard to beat Baxter Holmes’s ‘The NBA’s Secret Sandwich Addiction,’ which will have readers first laughing incredulously and then hungrily craving a PB&J on plain white bread. Thoughtful and educational, enticing and entertaining, this collection has something for everyone.”—Publishers Weekly