We just got a tip from a reader that the beloved Gourmet magazine may be scheduled to be resurrected. Carol Smith, the veteran chief brand officer and senior vice president in charge of Elle was recently lured away to become vice president and publishing director for Condé Nast. According to a piece at WWD, Thomas A. Florio of Condé Nast asked her: "Could you ever see yourself doing for food what you did for fashion with Elle?"

What does that even mean, for a magazine like Gourmet, which is included in the brands that Smith is scheduled to supervise? Well...

Here's a direct quote from Smith and WWD:

"Then I started to think, you know, what’s the difference between food and fashion? Not much.” Regarding her plans for Bon Appetit and Gourmet, Smith said she hopes to breathe life back into Gourmet — which was shuttered last October to much outcry — perhaps creating a “custom magazine,” whereby an advertiser such as Kraft or Target would produce a newsstand Gourmet magazine and own every ad. Other ideas include working with retailers on Gourmet-branded items, as well as television projects and events for both titles.

• Read more: Condé Nast Lures Carol Smith at WWD

That doesn't sound terribly appealing to us: A custom magazine (um, advertorial?)? All one sponsor? And would it reopen with or without Ruth Reichl?

There are a lot of questions there, and we're afraid to hope for anything more than a mere shadow of the magazine we've loved for years, but you never know. Maybe it will actually come back. If it does, we'll certainly be there to celebrate.

Anyone else seeing these rumors?

Related: Gourmet Magazine Closing

(Image: Gourmet)