The Atlantic to Launch Food Channel

150-Year-Old Magazine Creates Yet Another Web Vertical

Posted by Ken Wheaton on 03.12.09 @ 10:47 AM

I'm the kind of guy who watches football while eating fried chicken and drinking American light beer. But I'm one of them there men of contradictions you hear about, so my favorite print magazine is The Atlantic. And, while I scoff at organic food markets and am a bit skeeved by the beards sported by the purveyors of Brooklyn's "food renaissance" (leave it to Brooklyn to "rediscover" food), I'm a big fan of cooking shows, the Food Network and whatever cheese or food movement Corby Kummer chooses to write about from month to month in The Atlantic. (I mean this in all seriousness: Kummer nailed exactly what's wrong with the cavalcade of crappy cupcakes unleashed during a fad set off years ago by "Sex and the City.")

So, if you're all like me -- or worse, someone who actually admits in public that he's a foodie -- you'll be delighted to learn that The Atlantic is launching another one of its web verticals tomorrow (it will join Business and Politics). The magazine's already dealing in politics and business online. Hell, for a 150-year-old magazine, it's taking to the web pretty well. Tomorrow it launches "Food Channel," which will live at http://food.theatlantic.com. (It's not live yet.)

Under the leadership of Kummer, the site/blog/vertical (call it what you want) will feature text, videos and photos from contributors such as Chicago chef Grant Achatz (owner of Alinea); Tim and Nina Zagat (the restaurant Zagats, not to be confused with the Flying Zagat Family); bioethicist Zeke Emanuel (yes, he is the brother of Rahm); Starbucks co-founder Jerry Baldwin; nutritionist and author Marion Nestle; winemaker Aaron Pott; and Ari Weinzweig, cofounder of Zingerman's deli in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Interestingly, according to my whisper-monkeys, the destination "will also showcase experts from the worlds of health, nutrition and science -- the people most food journalists go to as authorities, speaking for themselves." We did that with Evan Tracey on the Campaign Trail blog. Now, everyone else is using him as a source, too!

Now, if I could just convince Kummer to write about Popeyes.

1 Comment

  By gkmcguire | SAN FRANCISCO, CA March 15, 2009 02:16:59 pm:

This site will do very well. The growing American interest in slow food, healthy eating, and economic-related "stay at home" nesting has created a huge new group of consumer interested in cooking. The Food Network was the first to market, but I predict we'll see several new entrants in this space online.

Garry McGuire
http://www.mcguiremarketingpartners.com

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