Short rib lasagna in Rockland is Jeanne Muchnick’s best thing she ate this week
Short rib lasagna in Piermont wins food writer’s heart as a ‘best eats’ pick
Curious about the foodie behind The Journal News/lohud’s food coverage?
If you’ve been following me on social media, you know I love taking pictures of everything from the cheesiest pizza to the smokiest cocktail to the hottest new restaurant. I pride myself on exclusives ‒ reporting on a new spot before anyone else does and showcasing the owners, their mission, their vision, restaurant ambiance and menu.
Everyone has a story, from working their way up from dishwasher to owner, to an aha career change pivot post-COVID, to a husband and wife “meet cute” straight out of a romcom.
I love hearing it all — and then massaging that information into an article (or Instagram reel).
I consider myself a news reporter for the food beat: snuffing out leads, driving around town (I easily clock 250 miles a week), stalking Facebook and Instagram, and mining my contacts for what’s new. I also eat out three to four times a week, sometimes more.
At least 60% of my job is on the road. One hundred percent is writing ‒ and since I’m an “old school” journalist, that’s where I place my emphasis. I started my career in print, writing and editing for national magazines such as Woman’s Day, Woman’s World and Parents. Eventually, I transitioned to local news reporting, working as a food columnist for Westchester Magazine and, later, as a senior editor for InTown Magazine, the custom publishing division of The Journal News that was eventually shuttered.
Travel, parenting and food have always been my specialties. I even wrote a book, “Dinner for Busy Moms,” about getting meals on the table when you’re not a cook.
I still love print ‒ as hopefully you do, too. There’s something about the ritual of holding and reading a newspaper as you sip your morning coffee and spill muffin crumbs on its pages. So spill away ‒ I’m the food writer so I don’t mind ‒ and please continue to follow me. Hopefully you’re a reader of my free newsletter which gives you behind the scenes info; if not, sign up at profile.lohud.com/newsletters/manage.
I also hope you’re a fan of my “Best Thing I Ate This Week” series which runs every other week.
I’m big on food puns so I’ll end by saying I have an appetite for news and am always hungry to hear from you. Feel free to contact me and feed me info at JRMuchnick@gannett.com.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.