Grub Street Network Hires New Overlord, Loses Two

Some late-day insidery food media news: We were just forwarded an email about a recent hiring and departures over at Grub Street: Alan Sytsma starts on Monday as Editor of the Grub Street Network.

Sytsma, previously of Food Network Magazine and Gourmet, does not have very much of an online presence other than a somewhat uneventful Twitter account (and he doesn't follow Eater, which hurts our feelings). When asked, one of our sources told us that Sytsma is a "bright and funny guy, but I wouldn't want him to meet my daughter." Sytsma is filling the seat, literally, of previous Grub overlord Aileen Gallagher, who departed this summer to teach at the journalism school of her alma mater, Syracuse.

Also: Departures! Grub Street Boston's editor Leila Cohan's last day is today (she's pursuing her comedy writing career), and Grub Street New York's assistant editor Helen Rosner (who goes all the way back to Menupages Chicago) is leaving to take on the role of editor of Saveur.com. Perhaps they, too, will launch a blog!

The Email:

From: Pasick, Adam
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2010 5:16 PM
To: [redacted]
Cc: Alan
Subject: Two Grub Street departures, and one arrival

I'm sorry to announce we are losing two of our best Grub Street bloggers, Helen Rosner and Leila Cohan.

Helen has been making stellar contributions as assistant editor for Grub Street New York while also serving as maestro of the online restaurant listings. Previously she worked on Grub Street Chicago and at the Menupages blogs. Helen is a star -- just ask Jeffrey Steingarten -- and we're sorry to see her go, but wish her the best of luck in her new job as editor of Saveur.com. Her last day is Oct. 13.

Leila has been an enthusiastic and creative member of the Grub Street team while serving as editor of Grub Street Boston. She also made sure MenuPages Boston was up to date and moderated user reviews. I especially appreciate her help in making sure that the blog is in good hands after she leaves to pursue her comedy writing career: Her web series “Vag Magazine” (much safer for work than the name implies) premieres at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre on Oct. 5. Her last day is tomorrow.

On the happier side of the ledger, Alan Sytsma starts work on Monday as Editor of the Grub Street Network. He joins us from Food Network Magazine, where he is a senior editor; he was previously at Gourmet. He has a great nose for national food trends, along with an encyclopedic knowledge of the restaurant world. If you need a Michelin-starred kosher Thai meal in Atlanta, he can probably hook you up. Please stop by to introduce yourself -- he'll be sitting, fittingly, at Aileen Gallagher's old desk.

Adam Pasick

Managing Editor, nymag.com

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