Besha Rodell
Besha Rodell has been Creative Loafing's Food Editor and main restaurant critic since early 2006. Before that she was the restaurant columnist for the Raleigh/Durham Independent Weekly. She also worked for years as a cook, waitress and manager in some of New York and North Carolina's best restaurants.

Awards:

- 2007 Association of Food Journalists, 3rd place, Restaurant Criticism, all circulations.

- 2007 Association of Food Journalists, 3rd place, Best Newspaper Food Feature (under 150,000-circulation), “2006 Food Issue – From the Farm to Your Table,” Creative Loafing

- 2007 James Beard Foundation nominee in Restaurant Feature Writing About Restaurants With or Without Recipes, “2006 Food Issue – From the Farm to Your Table,” Creative Loafing.

- 2005 Association of Food Journalists, 2nd place, Food News Reporting (under 150,000-circulation) “Black Gold,” Independent Weekly.

- 2005 Dan Wilkinson WRAL Conservation Communication Award, “The Life of a Tomato,” Independent Weekly