'Lucky Peach' Magazine Is Likely Folding

David Chang is laying off the team and stopping the presses

After six years, Lucky Peach, a go-to source for food obsessives and writers, will print its last scheduled issue, dedicated to the suburbs, this May, Eater reports. The magazine's staff, which is helmed by inimitable editor Peter Meehan, have been told that they will be laid off the same month as the issue.

David Chang, who launched the magazine, has said that he's keeping his options open, which could mean just about anything, but it's hard not to see the words last scheduled issue and be a bit grim.

Beloved for its in-depth looks at foods like ramen, cities like Los Angeles and banter-y arguments over American food between writers Robert Sietsema and Jonathan Gold, the magazine paved a road for out-of-the-box and smart food reporting.

Update: Lucky Peach breaks the news, in the most Lucky Peach of ways, that they will publish a final issue this fall. It will be a double, letting you soak in one last gulp.

Meanwhile, you're looking to take a literary trip down memory lane, we recommend these:

"Fantastic Mystic Fox," by Rachel Khong

"Khong's sensitive portrayal of this almost-mythical chef drew the curtain back on the crippling pressure on chefs these days, and what that means for their health, before it became a national topic of conversation." —Alison Spiegel

"The Unspoken Cool of Flamin' Hot Cheetos," by Sophie He

"This is one of my favorite pieces of food writing ever. LP was never afraid to tackle things most other mags would have deemed 'too obscure.' They took food and drink and made it personal but not too sentimental, intimate but also accessible to a wide range of folks." —Meredith Heil

"Profile in Obsession: Rich Collins, Endive Farmer," by Rachel Khong

"Khong's deep dive into the world of endive farming unveiled a whole subculture of vegetable care I never knew existed. She also taught me how to pronounce 'endive' correctly."  —Alison Spiegel

"How to Make Barbie Salad," by Anna Hezel and Gabriella Paiella

"I loved this story and the idea alone that there are enough related articles on a food website to merit a Deranged Crafts tag, but the fact that the writing backs it up is what makes Lucky Peach so great. The self-actualized irony here, like with the recipe's final instruction, 'drizzle your Barbie with ranch dressing,' is perfect." —Abby Reisner

"American Food, Whatever That Is," by Peter Meehan

"Two of the country's best food writers, Robert Sietsema and Jonathan Gold, allowed me (and everyone else who read this piece) to pull up a chair to their table in Kansas City and hear them bicker over what makes 'American food.'" Devra Ferst