Though George Yatchisin came on board The Independent this June as our new food editor, there’s a good chance you had read his byline even before articles like his story on Downey’s 25 years on State Street [Aug. 23] made our cover. After landing in Santa Barbara in 1994 to teach writing at UCSB, Yatchisin began contributing to The Indy‘s music and book sections long before he became our resident foodie. A native of East Hanover, New Jerseyhome of NabiscoYatchisin has so far restrained himself from sneaking Oreos and Triscuits into the food page. “Santa Barbara is great,” he said of his current home’s reputation as a culinary hotspot. “There’s a lot going on here, from what’s being grown to how it’s presented.”