The Food Issue

A quarter-century after it was coined by authors Paul Levy and Ann Barr, the term “foodie” is under attack. At least two blogs—The Appetizer, a product of Canadian newspaper The National Post, and Fat City, a product of Kansas City’s The Pitch weekly—want badly for 2009 to mark the end, once and for all, of the word, which, Fat City declares, “is a warning that says, ‘Hey, I’m not any fun to have a meal with.’”

We at CityBeat have no position on the future of “foodie.” (The only word we want officially banned is “utilize.”) If you want to call yourself a “foodie,” that’s your business. All we know is that you’re an important segment of our readership and a terribly important cog in the urban machinery.

That’s why we publish an annual issue dedicated to food—a common denominator of human beings if there ever was one (along with companions oxygen, water and fabulous shoes). It begins on this page and continues through Page 35, and it’s jammed full of pitches from advertisers who help make this fine publication possible. Please visit these businesses and tell ’em you saw their ad in CityBeat.

• Food Chain
• The once and future lamb 
• Depression eating
• Waste not, want not
• Sweet, sweet beets
• The fast food files