Troy Johnson Joins San Diego Magazine

Well-known by San Diego foodies and fans of Food Network, Johnson vows to look for "weird, funky, creative, innovative plates of awesomeness”

Local foodie Troy Johnson will join the staff of San Diego Magazine as its new dining critic.

Troy Johnson, known to food lovers for his Food Network program "Crave", will take on the role of Editor-at-Large and dining critic at the magazine.

“I’ve always read San Diego Magazine,” says Johnson, “When I was a kid, it seemed permanently attached to our coffee table. I’m thrilled to continue focusing on San Diego’s food scene as it is the best of both worlds—it’s finally progressive enough to be interesting, but it’s not oversaturated like New York or San Francisco. There’s plenty of room for weird, funky, creative, innovative plates of awesomeness.”

Johnson will primarily cover the city’s food scene from restaurant reviews to trends, essays, and real-deal journalism on food issues.

“Troy’s expert restaurant and food knowledge is a natural fit for the magazine and our digital platform,” says Jim Fitzpatrick, CEO & Publisher of San Diego Magazine, “We are extremely excited to have him on board and we know that he will be a strong addition to our editorial team.”

Most recently, Johnson served dual roles in Riviera San Diego Magazine for four years as their Senior Editor and food writer.

He helped launch San Diego CityBeat as its arts and culture editor and has also written stories for SPIN, Rolling Stone, Billboard and Surfer.

“He’s become the defining voice of our city’s food community,” says Erin Chambers Smith, Editor-in-Chief of San Diego Magazine.

She said Johnson brings something to the table that's uncommon in dining critics.

"There isn’t a lot of pretension there—a rare thing among food writers. That’s the thing so ‘San Diego’ about his character that’s going to hit home with our readers."

Read more about Johnson in San Diego Magazine.  

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