Robb Walsh Returns to Restaurant Criticism at Houstonia

In a press release issued Monday, Houstonia magazine announced the members of its editorial team, including that Robb Walsh has joined the staff as food editor and restaurant critic. The announcement marks the beginning of Walsh's return to the world of restaurant criticism that he left in 2010 when he departed the Houston Press to focus on cookbook writing and helping to launch El Real Tex-Mex with chef Bryan Caswell.

While he has rarely engaged in any formal restaurant criticism since leaving the Press, Walsh has never stopped writing about food. Last year, he published Texas Eats, which earned a nod from Eater National as one of the 21 essential cookbooks of 2012. He's also set to release two books in the next four months. The first is Barbecue Crossroads, which offers recipes and assesses the current state of barbecue across the country. Last week, Walsh announced The Hot Sauce Cookbook, which is an outgrowth of his work as the founder of the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival.

On his blog, Walsh has been an advocate for Texas chefs such as Underbelly's Chris Shepherd. He's also embraced food writer John T. Edge's description of Houston as "Mutt City" in posts about Palestinian chicken restaurant Al Aseel and second-generation Vietnamese restaurant b10.

While Walsh's plans for his role are unknown at this time, he has made one significant change. His Twitter avatar shows his face in a shadow.

· New Gig! [RobbWalsh]
· Houstonia magazine [Official Site]
· Robb Walsh [Twitter]
· Sneak Preview: Barbecue Crossroads [Zen BBQ]
· The 21 Essential Cookbooks and Food Books of 2012 [-EN-]

[RobbWalsh.com]