It has been an incredible four months for me as Phoenix New Times' food editor. This city is a treasure trove of inventive, chef-driven restaurants — both high-end and hole-in-the-wall. And working for a progressive publication like New Times has allowed me to explore the Valley food scene beyond high-profile restaurant openings and really dig in to some of the stories of the longtime ethnic restaurants that make the city such a vibrant place to live, work, and eat.

It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to the Valley of the Sun, but I couldn't be more excited to introduce the food-obsessed Philly native to whom I will be passing the baton. Chris Malloy is a third-generation Italian-American from Berwyn, a town just outside Philadelphia, and his love of food, and the amazing stories that are served with them, has been an essential part of his life since childhood. Some of his earliest memories are of his grandmother cooking and telling stories about orange salad, artichokes, and gnocchi. Her stories and culinary wizardry captivated his young imagination.