John Francis Mariani is a food & wine journalist, restaurant critic and author.
[9] During his time as Esquire Magazine's food & travel correspondent,[10][11] he published an annual list of the nation's “20 Best New Restaurants”[12][13][14] until 2014.
It was re-published in 2013 as The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink[21] He went on to write more books including Eating Out: Fearless Dining in Ethnic Restaurants[22], America Eats Out[23] which examined America's eateries such as Pizzerias and the advent of the Submarine Sandwich, and Mariani's Coast-to-Coast Dining Guide in which he "conscripted regional food critics to write chapters relative to their part of the country"[24].
[25] He co-authored annual editions of Passport to New York Restaurants and was editor of Italian Cuisine: Basic Cooking Techniques.
[26][27][28] He also co-wrote The Italian American Cookbook with his wife Galina[29] Over his career, Mariani has been nominated for and received journalism, food and cultural awards including the James Beard Journalism Award (nominated in 1985, 1998 and 1999).