Chef Series: Peter Meehan of Lucky Peach
During my time at eponym, a creative eyewear development startup, I created, wrote, and produced the Dinner Party series for our client Steven Alan. From sourcing a group of chefs and food influencers – Fredrik Berselius of Aska, Maya Jankelowitz of Jack’s Wife Freda, and Peter Meehan of the late Lucky Peach magazine – to crafting Steven Alan’s interview with them about their life’s work, I had the exciting opportunity to get to know some of my favorite people in their home kitchens and restaurants.
This piece features Peter Meehan, a former New York Times food critic and editor-in-chief of Lucky Peach magazine, a collaborative effort with David Chang’s Momofuku that shuttered in May of 2017. Lucky Peach’s bizarre and colorful publications changed the way that the industry approached reading and writing about food – all under the watchful eye of Meehan.
Writing & interview by Rachel Cantrell
Photography by Heather Sten
from the piece
“To say that Peter Meehan has influenced the way we think about food is a bit of an understatement. For the past six years, this James Beard Award-winning food writer has helmed the indie food magazine Lucky Peach (a collaboration with David Chang of Momofuku), a publication that’s pushed the envelope on food journalism and the relationship between chefs and writers – all without taking itself too seriously.
And that’s who Peter is, too. He’s someone who can pull out old editions of indie mags like Wet and the Beastie Boys’ Grand Royal from his extensive collection, or share his thoughts on the Misono cleaver hanging on his kitchen wall – expertly, yet unpretentiously. And although we met Peter right at the moment when Lucky Peach announced that it would be closing its doors due to creative differences, we still had a chance to chat with him about his creative process. We also learned how to make a classic Lucky Peach dish, perfect for a summer dinner party – the Chineasy Cucumber Salad.”
