Also known as the Ravenous Traveler, I've worked as a culinary travel writer for more than 15 years and helped to write 17 published books. Most recently, I've worked as a restaurant critic for Willamette Week and Down East Magazine, and, prior to that, I was the editor of Eater Portland. My interest in food, community, and sustainability has its roots in the tiny fishing village of Milbridge, Maine. My parents were hippies who were part of the back-to-the-land movement, and the homesteading lifestyle wasn't bad at all. We produced most of our own food. My dad built a schooner, but first he had to cut down trees, dragged them from the woods with horses, and saw and plane the logs into boards. I like to think I produce handmade works based on his example.

The poet Theodore Enslin played a formative role in my development as a writer. Growing up, I did yard work for the renowned poet, and he would sprinkle insights into the craft of writing throughout the day (I shared some of them in my TEDx talk). Our friendship lasted nearly two decades, including a ten-year written correspondence. 

My career started in San Francisco, where I interned at The Believer Magazine and ZYZZYVA. I wrote for Skin & Ink and Total Tattoo, interviewed metal bands for Your Music Magazine, and did both heavy metal concert and tattoo photography. 

From 2008 to 2010, I lived in Lecce, Italy. While there, I wrote for Europe Up Close, one of the first great travel blogs. My coverage focused on regional culinary guides, with a specialization in wine-tasting itineraries. I also authored and updated travel guides for Northstar Travel Media, including guides to Rome, Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence, Portland, Seattle, and New York City.

I left Italy in 2010 and moved to Portland, Oregon, drawn by its food, wine, and wilderness. I started writing for Northwest Travel & Life Magazine, BootsNAll.com, and others, and my assignments ranged from riding the rails in Alaska to sipping wine in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. For six years, I sat on the planning board of Travel & Words, the Northwest travel writers conference, and, for two-and-a-half years, I served as the editor of the rapidly growing food news website Eater Portland. Most recently, I worked as a restaurant critic for Willamette Week, before moving back to Maine to follow in the footsteps of my parents by starting a subsistance farm near Belfast.

In addition to writing, I provide editing services to help clients structure and complete writing projects, including books. I’ve collaborated with psychologists working on psychology trade books and with graduate students writing their dissertations. 

Approach:
I write  about and promote things that I think make the world a better place, from culinary tour operators exposing local and sustainable businesses to winemakers sharing a single, honest wine.

Goal:
I believe that inside of every great chef, restaurant, wine region, and city is a great story. It is my honor to tell it.

Hit list:

• met the girl of my dreams and moved to Italy

• updated 7 travel guides to Italy for Northstar Travel Media

• wrote 250+ posts for EuropeUpClose.com

• moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2010 for wine, wilderness, and words

• 30+ stories in Northwest Travel & Life Magazine

• 1500+ articles while editor of Eater PDX

• restaurant critic for Willamette Week 

• and one TEDx talk on how to write a book