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. * - 2011 Association of Food Journalists, 1st place, Best Food Essay, all circulations, "Around the Clock at Waffle House". * - 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