In her early career, Clark was a freelance writer for various publications, including the
New York Times, and worked in "front of house" jobs at restaurants. In 2007, she began her weekly "A Good Appetite" column at
The New York Times, She became a full-time staff writer at the
Times in 2012, Clark's most favored ingredient is
anchovies, which she praises for their versatility.
East of Paris with David Bouley;
The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern with
Claudia Fleming, and
Cook This Now (2011), which focuses on seasonal cooking. Clark's cookbook
Dinner: Changing the Game won an award in 2018 from the
International Association of Culinary Professionals. For
The New Essentials of French Cooking, which was published in print and as a series of articles on
NYT Cooking, Clark won the 2018 James Beard Foundation Journalism Award for innovative storytelling. In 2019, Clark hosted a podcast series,
Weeknight Kitchen with Melissa Clark, produced by
The Splendid Table. ==Personal life==