New Times' Chris Malloy, Tom Zoellner Finalists in National Food Writing Competition

Only the Washington Post had more finalists among general-circulation newspapers.

May 13, 2019

New Times' Chris Malloy is a finalist for the AFJ awards for his feature on the search for a new Arizonan cuisine. Erik Merkow/Cartwright's Modern Cuisine

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Phoenix New Times food critic Chris Malloy and contributor Tom Zoellner have been named finalists in the Association of Food Journalists competition for the best food and beverage writing in the country, the AFJ announced Monday morning, May 13.

Malloy is one of three finalists for Best Newspaper Food Feature for “A Journey to the Heart of New Arizonan Cuisine” — a narrative about local chefs foraging for indigenous foods. Brett Anderson of the New York Times and Mark Vamos of the Dallas Morning News are the other finalists in the category.

Zoellner's feature, “Arizona’s 16 Most Iconic Bars: Character Plus Longevity Equals a Classic,” is one of three finalists in the Best Writing on Beer, Wine or Spirits category. Esther Mobley of the San Francisco Chronicle and Emily Timberlake of Taste, are the other two finalists.

The Washington Post is the only newspaper with more finalists in the competition than New Times; it has three.

Two other Arizona publications earned finalist nods. Melanie Albert of Natural Awakenings, Phoenix & Northern Arizona Magazine is in the running for Best Food Photo for “Local Arizona Spring Veggies.” Tayler Brown of Cronkite News, Arizona PBS, produced by Arizona State University, is a finalist for Best Writing on Food, Student Division, for "Native American Farmers Plan Moves to Global Market, Greater Sustainability."

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Stuart Warner was the editor of New Times from 2017 to 2019. He has been a journalist since the stoned ages of 1969, playing a major role on teams that won three Pulitzer Prizes. He is also the author of the biography JOCK: A Coach's Story.