Alan Richman

Coming Up

He began in newsrooms as a sportswriter at Philadelphia Evening Bulletin in Philadelphia, where the pace of daily reporting demanded speed and accuracy. He then moved to sports columnist at Montreal Star in Montreal, a role that required a clearer point of view and a tighter handle on interpretation. From there, he became restaurant critic at Montreal Star in Montreal, a shift that put food at the center of his writing and asked for the kind of authority that comes from tasting carefully and saying exactly what you think. That trajectory later moved into education. As dean of food journalism at French Culinary Institute in New York City, Alan Richman occupied a role that carried institutional weight and the responsibility of passing on hard-earned standards to newer writers. Today, Alan is writer of GQ (since 1986), a long-running position that reflects the reach of his work and the consistency of his voice across changing editorial climates.

Where They Are Now

He is a restaurant critic. The title is plain; the work behind it is not. It carries years spent moving between newspapers and magazines, from sports coverage to food criticism, and from reporting to evaluation with the same insistence on precision.

In Their Words “I believe in an Old World System of Honor which doesn't involve turning the other cheek.” The line makes clear the force of his criticism: direct, unsentimental, and grounded in a code of conduct rather than soft-edged opinion. It suggests a view of criticism as obligation, not performance.

Honors

Alan's honors include James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards, National Magazine Award, and Bronze Star. They mark a career recognized in journalism and beyond, with food writing at its center and a broader reporting standard running through the whole body of work.