Award-winning food writer Josh Ozersky died in Chicago on Monday, May 4. News of his passing began to show up on social media sites at the same time many celebrities of the national food community were attending the James Beard Foundation Awards gala.
According to the Chicago Tribune website, Ozersky was pronounced dead at the Conrad Chicago Hotel and his death was confirmed by the Cook County Medical Examiner. No cause of death was reported, but an autopsy is scheduled for today. Formerly of New York, Ozersky had recently relocated to Portland and was in Chicago for this year’s Beard Awards ceremony. He was a member of the Beard Awards committee and a former winner for his food writing.
Ozersky built a career espousing indelibly strong opinions about food, and he was unapologetic in his willingness to challenge other writers with whom he disagreed. His food writing was vivid and often poignant with personal and family revelations. He was the founding editor of New York Magazine‘s popular Grub Street blog and a frequent contributor to publications such as Time, The Wall Street Journal, Saveur, Food & Wine, and Esquire. He was also the author of two books, The Hamburger: A History and Meat Me in Manhattan: A Carnivore’s Guide to New York City.
Ozersky’s passion for all things meat lead him to found Meatopia, a traveling food festival dedicated to carnivores like himself. He brought Meatopia to the Pearl in San Antonio in November of 2013, scheduling it in direct competition with the annual Texas Monthly Barbecue Festival, and fanning the flames of his war of words with then newly anointed Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn. Vaughn noted Ozersky’s passing on Twitter, saying he’d “lost his favorite sparring partner.”
That year, former Chronicle contributor Kenny Pailes and I attended the Meatopia media reception at the Granary restaurant in San Antonio. The gregarious Ozersky held court and introduced several of the chefs from Texas and New York who would go on to prepare incredible meat dishes at his signature event. Last night, Pailes recalled Ozersky’s sage food-writing advice, “follow your taste buds and nobody else’s.”
Those certainly seemed to be the words by which Ozersky lived. He was quite a character. I’m glad I got to see him in action and disappointed when I think of all the fascinating writing he had yet to do.
This article appears in May 1 • 2015.