Lawton Mackall

Born in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, in 1888, Lawton Mackall was an American author, journalist, and critic whose career ranged widely across New York literary life. Reliable biographical sources describe him as an editor of several magazines and as a writer with a strong reputation for humor, commentary, and cultural criticism.

He is especially remembered for food and restaurant writing. His 1948 guide Knife and Fork in New York has been noted as an early landmark in American restaurant criticism, and his work helped shape the idea of lively, informed writing about dining for a general audience.

Mackall also wrote beyond gastronomy, including work connected to film, and his long career reflects an energetic, curious public writer who could turn from literature to city life to the rituals of eating well. He died in 1968.