San Francisco Food Blog

While gossip continues to circle like buzzards around the questionable fate of major food magazines Gourmet and Bon Appétit, a newer crop of young and independent specialty publications are providing plenty of food for thought. Here (in reverse order of our faves) are 10 worth picking up -- but don't put 'em in your mouth!

10. Swallow
A new art-driven magazine that debuted in September, Swallow is currently only published twice a year and available at a few shops around New York. But its sensuous, heavily visual take on eating has potential for breaking out to a wider readership.

9. VegNews
News and recipe features about vegetarian food often end up bland, but VegNews spices things up in an innovative way for a double serving of relevance.

8. Flavor & Fortune
Dedicated to the vibrancy of Chinese cuisine, Flavor & Fortune pairs a spare, elegant layout with in-depth profiles of ingredients both familiar and freaky to the Western palate.

7. Edible Communities
A 50-title independent network, Edible mags cover local food scenes, with an emphasis on the organic and sustainable. Many, such as our own Edible San Francisco and Edible East Bay, are free.

6. Culture
A new magazine devoted to the art and pleasure of cheese, Culture had a well-defined voice and look from the first issue. And it has arguably the best name of the bunch.

5. Draft
Beer is not usually something you think of as classy, but Draft gives the craft its due as a refined art.

4. Cocoaroma
Its beautifully illustrated educational features detail every part of the chocolate-making process, from farm to boutique. No other mag has ever delved so far into international cacao culture.

3. Imbibe
The go-to bible for liquid assets, providing insights on everything from tea to tequila.

2. Gastronomica
Published by UC Berkeley Press, Gastronomica is the leading American publication for intellectual musings on food, yet it's rarely eggheady enough to alienate the enthusiastic general reader.

1. Meatpaper
Another broad subject given the artistic treatment, Meatpaper is a journal of fabulous flesh. The mag also does a good job reaching out to readers through its wonderful Meat & Greet parties, always packed to the gills with hungry piggies.