Margaret Grade, Whose California Inn Was Beloved by Stars, Dies at 72
Her Manka’s Inverness Lodge drew actors and writers who dined at Ms. Grade’s farm-to-table restaurant and reveled in her eccentric flair.
By Kim Severson
I look at food as cultural currency, and I think every story has a food angle. I keep an eye on how we grow our food, who cooks it and how we eat it, so I can tell larger stories about where we are as a culture and where we are heading. My interests might take me to the kitchen of a great Southern biscuit maker, or the front lines of feeding people in a disaster zone.
I’ve been writing about food full time since 1999, when I joined the staff of The San Francisco Chronicle. Before that, I was a reporter and editor in Anchorage and in Tacoma, Wash. I joined The Times in 2004 as a food writer, and later took a four-year detour to the National desk as the Southern bureau chief. I came back to the Food section with the start of NYT Cooking and now travel the country and sometimes the world looking for stories. I’ve won several awards, but the one that matters most to me is the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for public service; I was part of the team that brought the first #MeToo allegations to light. I’m a Midwesterner by birth, from a big Italian Catholic family. I’ve written four books, and live with my partner, our dogs and our teenager in Atlanta.
The Times has an extensive ethics policy, which all Times journalists follow. I pay my own way. I don’t accept free trips or free meals. I don’t lie to get stories and am transparent about what I am doing and how the information I gather will be used. I don’t disclose a source whose anonymity I have agreed to protect. I don’t directly invest in companies I might cover. I don’t join political parties or protests, but I do vote.
Email: severson@nytimes.com
X: @kimseverson
Instagram: @kimseverson
Threads: @kimseverson
WhatsApp: Get my number via NYT email, NYT tips or DM
Signal: Get my number via NYT email, NYT tips or DM
Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips
Her Manka’s Inverness Lodge drew actors and writers who dined at Ms. Grade’s farm-to-table restaurant and reveled in her eccentric flair.
By Kim Severson
How a workhorse vegetable became a darling of the culinary world.
By Kim Severson
This stolid supporting player has slowly risen to a starring role in creative restaurants across the country. Some diners, though, may need a little coaxing.
By Kim Severson
The bubbly host of a new TV food-and-travel series plays up the comedy, but her ascent has required navigating setbacks like the demise of “The Chew.”
By Kim Severson
Are they gas stations that serve food or restaurants that pump gas? A new photography book explores the lure of these restorative community rest stops.
By Kim Severson
The food industry has long touted its products as impossible to resist. But with a spotlight on the perils of compulsive eating, that tactic is getting another look.
By Kim Severson
Meal-flavored cocktails, premium water and lots of snacks: Here’s what the next year holds for food and drinks.
By Kim Severson
A recent demonstration outside a Philadelphia falafel spot was just the latest in a history of boycotts and conflicts.
By Kim Severson
Pennsylvania state leaders including Gov. Josh Shapiro also criticized the protest held outside a falafel shop, calling it antisemitic.
By Johnny Diaz
Deep-frying requires equipment, lots of oil and a dash of common sense about flammability. But the rewards can be bountiful.
By Kim Severson