Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise
Description
Author of Save Me the Plums Ruth Reichl's iconic, bestselling memoir of her time as an undercover restaurant critic for The New York Times "Expansive and funny." --Entertainment Weekly Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and former editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world--a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities. In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichl reveals the comic absurdity, artifice, and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world and gives us--along with some of her favorite recipes and reviews--her remarkable reflections on how one's outer appearance can influence one's inner character, expectations, and appetites, not to mention the quality of service one receives. "[A] wonderful book, which is funny--at times laugh-out-loud funny--and smart and wise." --Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post
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Community Reviews
It was interesting to read how critics review restaurants and they way food is described. I learned a whole new vocabulary of words used to describe tastes and textures. What made this book especially enjoyable was the way our hostess presented the bookclub review. she provided wigs so we could experience a disguise and also she provided foods from Persian, Korean, and other restaurants. We had a great time exploring these tastes too.
I actually forget where I heard about this book, but any book about food usually ranks high on my list. The subtitle of this book is "The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise" and that's exactly what it is.
Reichl was the New York Times restaurant critic for 6 years and she went through various incarnations of herself to get in and out of restaurants without being noticed. Notice I said incarnations of herself vs disguises. As you read how Reichl (...read more
Reichl was the New York Times restaurant critic for 6 years and she went through various incarnations of herself to get in and out of restaurants without being noticed. Notice I said incarnations of herself vs disguises. As you read how Reichl (...read more
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