The Onion Leaps Into Food Writing With Ex-Tribune Writer Kevin Pang

This is no joke: The Onion will add food/pop culture coverage with former Tribune reporter and "For Grace" documentary maker Kevin Pang as their new food editor. The site’s A.V. Club, which legitimately covers movies, is expanding into these new areas, according to a post Pang wrote via Medium. Pang, who left the Trib at the end of last year, is looking for writers who don’t necessarily have food writing experience.

"We’ll look at food through the lens of pop culture. We’ll indulge in our obsessions and aim to satisfy curiosities," Pang wrote. "We treat high and low foods with equal respect. Our start points might be with food, but then veer into unexpected tangents. We favor good writing over scamming you into clicking a photo gallery."

This is not the place for satire, as Pang already has one story posted. There’s also a story that talks about the bond Pang has with father and food. Pang kept his Medium post intentionally vague, as they’re still working out the scopes of their coverage; they likely won’t be penning reviews. He became one of Chicago’s most well-respected food writers before his departure, and his writings popped up in places including Lucky Peach.

"Without giving away too much, our in-house brainstorm sessions include televised game shows, rap battles, something having to do with ninjas (we’re serious), and a piece about what seagulls taste like," Pang added.

Over the course of five days, they’ve already received hundreds of submission ideas from potential freelancers, Pang wrote. The Onion has always held a soft spot for Chicago, where it's headquartered. The publication has turned out recent gems like "‘We Get The Food And Then We Eat The Food Until All The Food Is Gone,’ City Of Chicago Announces Unprompted." But it’s unclear if Pang’s new endeavor will focus much on Chicago. The A.V. Club remains stationed in Chicago.