Ruthie the Foodie

When Gourmet magazine closed shop in 2009, foodies around the country shed a collective tear. But the culinary magazine’s unexpected downfall has not hampered its former chief’s forward march through foodland. Ruth Reichl, who has also been the restaurant critic for The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, the owner of a restaurant in Berkeley, and the author of several culinary books and memoirs, is touring the country this spring and stopping at The Granada at UC Santa Barbara.

Recently tapped to be a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters Season 3 (premiering April 6), Reichl will be speaking on the topic of being a “Spy in the House of Food.” Perhaps a good question to ask at this lecture is why she changed the title of her latest book from “Not Becoming My Mother” to “For You, Mom, Finally.” The tone of the title is quite different—Reichl goes from distancing herself from her mother to paying her homage. It speaks to the complex feelings we all have toward our mothers…food for thought, no?

“A Spy in the House of Food” is part of the FOOD for THOUGHT Appeteasers series, put on by UCSB, Whole Foods Market and the Santa Barbara Independent to promote foodie culture in Santa Barbara. Sunday, March 27, 3 p.m. $21. The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. For more info, visit