Skip to Content
Talkhouse home
Talkhouse home
Podcast

15: Ruth Reichl

Is there an introduction needed here? Over her groundbreaking career, Ruth Reichl has served as the food editor of the Los Angeles Times, the restaurant critic of the New York Times, and the editor in chief of the legendary magazine Gourmet. She’s written juicy memoirs, mentored a generation of writers and editors, and still writes with regularity, curiosity, and a love for real journalism. She also whispers in beautiful character-count limits on Twitter if you haven’t checked that out. So what did we talk about? Reichl discusses editing the The Best American Food Writing 2018, grades the current New York Timesrestaurant critics, reflects on her time at the Los Angeles Times, when she would publish 60 pages a week and oversaw 20 full-time employees (food-media glory days!), discusses the terrible economic reality facing restaurants, and remembers her first cookbook, published in 1972. She also might surprise some with her take on journalism in the #MeToo era. Also on this episode, Smitten Kitchen’s Deb Perelman answers the question: What’s an unpopular food that is due for a comeback?

Note: this podcast contains explicit content.

Episode Info

  • Episode15
Is there an introduction needed here? Over her groundbreaking career, Ruth Reichl has served as the food editor of the Los Angeles Times, the restaurant critic of the New York Times, and the editor in chief of the legendary magazine Gourmet. She’s written juicy memoirs, mentored a generation of writers and editors, and still writes with regularity, curiosity, and a love for real journalism. She also whispers in beautiful character-count limits on Twitter if you haven’t checked that out.So what did we talk about? Reichl discusses editing the The Best American Food Writing 2018, grades the current New York Timesrestaurant critics, reflects on her time at the Los Angeles Times, when she would publish 60 pages a week and oversaw 20 full-time employees (food-media glory days!), discusses the terrible economic reality facing restaurants, and remembers her first cookbook, published in 1972. She also might surprise some with her take on journalism in the #MeToo era. Also on this episode, Smitten Kitchen’s Deb Perelman answers the question: What’s an unpopular food that is due for a comeback? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Podcast

Explore Podcast

The Way Back with Alex Ross Perry

June 7, 2026

Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” w/ Hanif Abdurraqib

June 5, 2026

Linda Perry

June 5, 2026

953. – Shaad D’Souza

June 5, 2026

Sook-Yin Lee Talks with John Cameron Mitchell on the Talkhouse Podcast

 "People in the same room is a balm and a medicine and an antidepressant and an understanding that we are still fucking human."

June 4, 2026