As a person who lives for my foodie magazines, it was with great distress that I learned that Gourmet magazine’s parent company, Conde Nast,  was closing the doors on four of its publications – Gourmet, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride and Cookie.  Since I’ve never heard of Cookie, and I don’t plan on marrying again, the one that resonates with me is Gourmet. Such an established, high quality institution – a seventy year old lady.  Apparently for the first 8 months of the year, ad revenues were down by $600 million, forcing swift and tough action as recommended by McKinsey & Co.

Given Conde Nast also owns Bon Appetit - a magazine with slightly higher circulation and ad revenue – it was logically decided that both magazines did not need to coexist.  It’s unfortunate, with the proliferation of food magazines in the market, many of which are of lesser quality than Gourmet, that both of these amazing magazines had to have the same parent.  While I’ve promised myself never to use this analogy, it’s Conde Nast’s Sophie’s Choice.  (I’m very sensitive to the seriousness of the implication of Sophie’s Choice, and have been in far too many business meetings where this term is used to describe insignificant business choices – and I’m always irritated by the misuse of that term – anyways fodder for another blog!)

The silver lining?  Apparently Conde Nast is committed to book publishing, TV shows, and online recipe publishing via epicurious – but as one reader said – “my iphone epicurious app certainly does not replace holding and viewing a magazine of wonderful recipes, articles and beautiful photographs.”  I wholeheartedly agree.