Phoenix New Times food critic Chris Malloy won first place for Best Newspaper Feature Story in the Association of Food Journalists competition, it was announced Thursday evening at the AFJ’s annual conference in Greenville, South Carolina.

Malloy won the $300 top prize for his narrative, “Journey Into the Heart of New Arizonan Cooking,” which  followed chefs Brett Vibber, Tamara Stanger, and others as they foraged for native foods.

The story also won second place in the food and beverage writing category in the Society of Features Journalism contest earlier this year.

Veteran New Times contributor Tom Zoellner took readers on a journey of another kind to earn a second place in the AFJ’s Writing on Beer, Wine, and Spirits category for his cover story, “Arizona’s 16 Most Iconic Bars.”

The only other Arizona journalist to take home an award from the AFJ ceremony was a second place by Tayler Brown of Cronkite News and Arizona PBS, in the Best Food Writing/Student Division. Arizona State University produced the story, "Native American farmers plan moves to global market, greater sustainability."

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