As you may have heard, our beloved Tony Perez is passing off his crown as the Mercury's Food Critic due to increased responsibilities at his much better paying job at Tin House. But before we place his crown on the noggin of the newest member of the Mercury team, I'd like to give a big HUZZAH! and a "tip o' the hat" to Tony who has been a simply fantastic food critic and a pure joy to work with. (Something tells me, however, this isn't the last you'll hear from Tony!)

Okay, now on to our announcement! Well over 100 people applied this time around for the Mercury food critic position, and we received a buttload of amazing resumes. That being said, we've settled on who we think is a great pick for us...

Say hello to your new Mercury Food Critic… Chris Onstad!

As many of you already know, Chris is the highly acclaimed author of the webcomic Achewood (which also ran in the Mercury for awhile), and is a consummate lover and preparer of all things delicious. He was also the topic of a feature written by former food editor Patrick Coleman (about the proper preparation of yak and buffalo testicles), and his writing has been published in such lofty journals as Saveur, The New Yorker, GQ, Vice and more. Happily he also happens to have an encyclopedic, obsessive knowledge and regard for the local food scene. But don't fret, Achewood fans! After a short hiatus, Chris is back to writing Achewood, so we're especially pleased he's taking time to join us as our newest food critic!

Though he won't actually get started writing Merc reviews for another couple-or-three weeks, I was too excited not to share. So stay tuned! Welcome Chris Onstad, and bon apetit!