SELECTED WRITING
"Pork Life," an autobiography in seven meals. Lucky Peach. Spring 2015.
+ winner, 2016 MFK Fisher Award for Distinguished Writing, The James Beard Foundation
"The Problem of Authenticity." Lucky Peach. Spring 2011.
+ cited by The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Time
"Crab Imperialism." The Washington City Paper. July 15, 2005.
"The Perfect Chef: I Pursued, He Ran." The Oxford American. Spring 2010.
+ cited by The Washington Post, C-ville Weekly, Richmond magazine
"Coding and Decoding Dinner." The Oxford American. May 13, 2015.
+ cited by The Braiser, The Charleston Post, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"The Meaning of Local." The Washingtonian. May 2013.
+ cited by Corby Kummer, in a Southern Foodways Alliance talk, "The Future of Food Writing"
"How a Fish Sandwich Became a Symbol of Shaw's Changes." OtherWise column. May 15, 2015.
"A Long Strange Chat with Momofuku's David Chang." OtherWise column. October 30, 2015.
+ cited by The New York Times, Washington City Paper, Tom Colicchio, Bloomberg News, Eater, John Podhoretz
"Human Food Is Processed Food": An Interview with Culinary Historian Rachel Laudan. OtherWise column. May 29, 2015.
"Everywhere At Once: Behind the Scenes with the Moneyball Chef." The Washingtonian. August 2012.
+ winner, Association of Food Journalists Award: Best Non-Newspaper Feature
"Try the Bugs, Go Easy on the Mezcal: Eating and Drinking in Mexico: a Diary." OtherWise column. June 26, 2015.
"What Howard University Taught Me About Rachel Dolezal." OtherWise column. June 19, 2015.
"40 Thoughts About Stanley Whitney's New Show." OtherWise column. August 11, 2015.
"Steve Jobs Was a Businessman, Not an Artist. What's So Hard About Saying That?" OtherWise column. September 17, 2015.
"Taking a Second Look at Mike Leigh's Mr. Turner." OtherWise column. May 8, 2015.
"How a Fish Sandwich Became a Symbol of Shaw's Changes." OtherWise column. May 15, 2015.
"Caitlyn Jenner's Story Is the Story of America." OtherWise column. June 5, 2015.
"Can Ethiopian Cuisine Become Modern?." The Washingtonian. August 2014.
"Follow This Simple Principle, and You May Never Eat a Mediocre Meal Again." OtherWise column. July 10, 2015.
"Everything You Need to Know About Pho (But Were Afraid to Ask). OtherWise column. November 23, 2015.
"Don't Mess with the Negroni." OtherWise column. May 22, 2015.
"Filipino Firecracker." The Washingtonian. December 2015.
"An Attention-Shunning Chef Steps Out, a Little," chef Rob Weland at Garrison. The Washingtonian. October 2015.
"A Glorious Feast Behind an Unmarked Door." The Washingtonian. May 2015.
"Greek Rush." The Washingtonian. May 2014.
"A Fish and Potatoes Kinda Place." The Washingtonian. November 2014.
"The Kid Rock of Southern Cooking," chef R..J. Cooper at Gypsy Soul. The Washingtonian. October 2014.
"My Year in 10 Meals." The Washingtonian. December 2012.
"My Father's Last Meal." Men's Health. April 2011.
"Rare Tuna." The Washingtonian. April 2007.
"Southern Exposure." The Washingtonian. May 2006.
"So You Think You Know Tacos: a Dizzying Tour of the Best of Mexico City." Men's Health. September 2015.
"The Locavore Wine Hypocrisy." The Daily Beast. July 2010.
"America's Greatest Guy Foods: Todd Kliman's EPR Homage." Men's Health. December 2009.
"Off the Eaten Path," a celebration of gas station taquerias, Confederate barbecue joints, and other off-road treasures. Men's Health. November 2012.
"The Breastaurant Business." NPR.org. February 26, 2009.
"The War on Openness Becomes the War on Stinky Cheese." NPR.org. January 30, 2009.
"The President-Elect as Food Critic." NPR.org. January 16, 2009.
"Butterball is Not Turkey, and Other Thanksgiving Truths." NPR.org. November 20, 2008.
"Barack Obama: First Eater." NPR.org. November 6, 2008.
"A Sweet Side Dish," NPR.org. November 26, 2008.
"Halloween: A Holiday for Kids, Not Bartenders and Dentists." NPR.org. October 31, 2008.
"Hot Pocket," chef Peter Chang at TemptAsian Cafe. The Washington City Paper. August 5, 2005.
LIVE! From Adour at The St. Regis: the First-Ever Real-Time Restaurant Review. The Washingtonian. September, 2008.
+ cited by New York Magazine, The Food Section, Serious Eats
"Auteur de Force," chef Jose Andres at minibar. The Washington City Paper. May 14, 2004.
"Living Largess." October 1, 2004.
"Scents and Sensibility." April 1, 2005.
"Mex Appeal." May 21, 2004.
"Why Was This Week Different from All Other Weeks?: Eating Out at Passover." The Washington City Paper. April 16, 2004.
"Cuba, Si!" December 26, 2003.
"On the Block," a review of Fair Warning by Robert Olen Butler. The Washington Post Book World. January 2002.
"Between the Lines," a review of The Muse Asylum by David Czuchlewski. The Washington Post Book World. July 2001.
"Chinese Boxes," a review of Troublemakers and Saints by Christina Chiu. The Washington Post Book World. April 2001.
"Deep Dish Blues," a review of I Left My Back Door Open by April Sinclair. The Washington Post Book World. April 18, 1999.
"Cat Burglar in the House of Fiction," an essay on the work of Michael Ondaatje. The Hollins Critic. December, 1994.
+ selected for inclusion in the Twayne Companion to Contemporary Literature in English
"Novelistic Reporting," a review of Visiting Mrs. Nabokov and Other Excursions by Martin Amis. The St. Petersburg Times. February 13, 1994.
"On the Fringes," a review of The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. The St. Petersburg Times. November 8, 1992.
"Last Things First," a review of Time's Arrow by Martin Amis, with an interview with the author. The St. Petersburg Times. December 15, 1991.
"A Love Song to an Art Form," a review of The Jazz Scene by W. Royal Stokes. The St. Petersburg Times. August 11, 1991.
"Fusing Fact and Fiction," a review of Dead Certainties by Simon Schama. The St. Petersburg Times. June 30, 1991.
"Mean Streets Made Mythic," a review of Scum by Isaac Bashevis Singer. The St. Petersburg Times. April 14, 1991.
"Honest to a Fault," a review of Winter by Rick Bass. The St. Petersburg Times. March 10, 1991.
"Telling Tales," a review of The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor by John Barth. The St. Petersburg Times. February 17, 1991.
"On Campus: Chris Rock incites a humor revolution." The New Yorker. September 6, 1999.
"Cal Ripken, Inc.: In the twilight of his career, the market-conscious hero extends his brand." Capital Style. April 1998.
"The Americanization of Yuri." How a brash West Village impresario plans to turn Russian heavyweight Yuri Vaulin into a global commodity. Special Report. Spring 1990.
"Sole Brothers," about the selling of Allen Iverson. Capital Style. December 2007.
+ cited by The New York Times
"Johnson Magic: How the wizard of BET, Bob Johnson, is building a multimedia empire." Capital Style. October 1997.
"A Comedy of Terrors," bullfighting in the American southwest. Special Report. Fall 1989.
"Tom Terrific: the Democratic Party has a a new star ... the tall candidate." Special Report. Spring 1990.
"All Space, All the Time: webcast, major motion pictures, streaming video, documentaries, radio, TV – all brought to you by ... NASA." Smithsonian. August/September 2001.
"Silver Streak," a portrait of Olympic cyclist Nelson Vails. Special Report. Winter 1988.
"Men Behaving Nicely: A search for love, meaning, and the right roommate." Capital Style. January 1998.
"Tom Terrific: the Democratic Party has a new star ... the tall candidate." Special Report. Spring 1990.
"The Accidental Publisher: Media heiress Joan Bingham climbs Cold Mountain." Capital Style. March 1988.
"The Last Days of the Dinosaur: The New York Times slouches toward the 21st century." Capital Style. November 1997.
"Opinion Minions: How one of Washington's most important patronage systems works," a look inside The New Republic and The Washington Monthly. Capital Style. September 1998.
"That's Rich: Frank Rich turns to politics." Capital Style. November 1999.
"Johnson Magic: How the wizard of BET, Bob Johnson, is building a multimedia empire." Capital Style. October 1997.
"Pay Dirt: Marty Gold audibilizes the NFL's political game plan." Capital Style. December 1998.