SF’s Local Flavor for sale as publisher retires

Magazine covers culture, culinary arts

SANTA FE — Patty Karlovitz says her plan to sell Local Flavor magazine and settle into retirement got sidetracked by the pandemic. But now, after more than 25 years as editor and publisher of the culture and culinary arts magazine circulated in Albuquerque and northern New Mexico, she’s ready to make it official.

Karlovitz announced last week that the Santa Fe-based publication was for sale and that she and husband Peter were ready to start the next chapter of their lives.

“It has been the privilege of my lifetime to tell the stories of the men and women who weave the incredible fabric of life in our New

Mexico. It’s a great responsibility to tell another’s story, and our guiding principle was to do it with insight and integrity,” she said in a statement.

Karlovitz added that it was “the right moment for a new team to lead the next generation of the magazine,” which typically publishes 11 editions a year.

The magazine ceased publication in December, but the release says that co-editor Cullen Curtiss and his staff of freelance writers, photographers and designers are optimistic about a relaunch in late spring.

First published in 1994, Local Flavor documented the growth of northern New Mexico’s culinary scene over the decades and followed the emergence of the farm-to-table revolution through stories about chefs, restaurants, recipes and wines. The publication expanded its palate to include gardening, music, arts and artisans, home decor, design and style in 2001, according to its website, localflavormagazine.com.

Local Flavor published about 25,000 copies that were distributed at more than 500 locations in Albuquerque, Los Alamos, Santa Fe and Taos. It estimates its monthly readership to be 75,000, not counting visits to the website.

Barker Realty in Santa Fe is handling the magazine’s sale.