I have read about half and skimmed the rest of this and I have to say, I'm disappointed. I had high hopes for this, coming from the McSweeney's crew and addressing some of my longest-standing obsessions. I guess I'd expected something like Gastronomica but with a sense of humor. Lucky Peach does have some good, thought-provoking, interesting articles (a history of the original Momofuku guy who invented instant ramen, something about the weird New Orleans noodle culture known as yakamay), but a lot of it is David Chang & Co. jacking each other off. Their passion is admirable, but without adequate editing it reads like a cross between a high school zine and Momofuku advertorial. Don't get me wrong - I love high school zines and think they are one of the most important forms of American culture - but these guys aren't in high school and inside jokes, plumage displays and long-winded, arrogant rants aren't what I wanted when I forked over $10. Maybe it would be more interesting to someone who is entrenched in the NYC foodie scene and wants a behind-the-curtain look, but if that's what they were going for they should have stuck with more targeted, localized distribution instead of making a national magazine. The food writing world, glutted with mediocre blogs and tired polemics about production politics, is in desperate need of well-written, fresh, fun, smart new voices. Lucky Peach is a step in the right direction, but still has a ways to go. I just got this edition and couldn't put it down. While the Ramen recipes are a bit aggressive and out of season for my summertime tastes there are many more eclectic bits to enjoy. You know a magazine's hitting all the right notes when you want to get out of bed and cook eggs at midnight or go online and shop for the perfect Ramen noodle. If you've tried any of those crazy egg preperations please let me know. I don't know where to begin. Can't wait to see what the LuckyPeach App looks like when it launches.
What do You think about Lucky Peach: Issue 1 (2011)?
So. effing. good. Can't wait to hand this over to my brother Joe at Christmas....
—krishna
Not a fan of Meehan's writing style. Too. much. testosterone.
—Phyllis
La mejor "revista" de comida hoy en día. Una delicia.
—Chelle
