Comments on: How much power do food critics really have anymore?

By: Alex Hang

Alex Hang — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:41:00 +0000

How does this tie to on the list of other posts? Possibly I’m blind… due to the fact I could’ve been on a differnet website. lol Nevermind. At any rate, it had been a solid publish. Later

By: Tammy

Tammy — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:24:33 +0000

How valuable is the traditional food critic’s opinion to me? Not much since I usually test out the review of any food “expert” by looking at reviews posted by regular people in forums such as Yelp.com, Chow.com etc. before I go to a new restaurant.
There’s no way any food journalist can be “objective” or “unbiased” and people know it because food is such a personal thing. It seems to me that many journalists who are paid to critique food go out of their way to find new adjectives to explain why they like or don’t like a particular restaurant. After all, they’re getting paid to write and who wants to read the same thing right?
They wield their thesaurus like a double edged sword seeking to devour any restaurant that doesn’t live up to their vaulted ideal 100% of the time.
Wine critics are 1000 times worse, however, particularly in terms of the air of superiority and snobbery, and I like them far less than the food critics.

By: BiteClubEats

BiteClubEats — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Hey Jeff.
Thanks for chiming in. I was off last week, so I didn’t see your note until today. I’ve mentioned a bunch of times that as an employee of the NYT, we’re obligated to uphold certain ethics standards. I’ve always assumed you follow those and have never heard otherwise.
Regarding that post…There are always haters out there (i like the post by Toby down below) and i take my share of beatings too. I usually leave ‘em up because they’re so obviously misguided and its entertaining to snark about them.
But yeah, its not really necessary to be mean and slanderous of you, fellow eater! You’ve got your gig and I’ve got mine and I think we pretty happily co-exist.
Keep it real, Cox!

By: Jeff Cox

Jeff Cox — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:45:39 +0000

Heather–Please. You read these comments. Here’s one: “I rarely agree with Jeff Cox (in fact have heard that he makes a point of announcing his presence).”
I have never once EVER announced my presence. I use phony names to make reservations and go with friends to be as inconspicuous as possible. People on this site say I take free meals. I have NEVER taken one free meal ever in all my years reviewing restaurants. Fer goshsakes, I’m a journalist, degree in journalism, years spent on newspapers as reporter, city editor, etc. I take the reviewing work very seriously.
If someone doesn’t agree with my review, fine. If they think I’m pretentious, that’s their opinion and I’ll defend their right to say it. But don’t accuse me of lapses in journalistic ethics. Stick up for me, Heather. It hurts to read this uninformed gossip. –Jeff

By: valerie

valerie — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:14:06 +0000

Sorry, but I can’t take someone serious who claims to be a food critic and still thinks that tater tot casserole is yummy

By: BiteClub

BiteClub — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:01:29 +0000

Great thread! One thing to think about… I think it is important that this doesn’t become an “Us vs. Them” thing. I respect Jeff for what he does and Michael for what he does. I don’t know either of them personally, but I know what they do isn’t easy. Compared to them, I am clearly a gastro-neophyte (which I see as a plus, rather than a minus since I’m never afraid to ask really dumb questions) and acknowledge the time it takes to learn any craft.

By: Sean Thorniley

Sean Thorniley — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:34:38 +0000

Heather,
Love the attitude, thoughts and the picture of Anton Ego, very good choices! I enjoy reading your comments and read them all the time. I have only very very rarely agreed with anything from Jeff Cox, or Michael Bauer and I have waited on Cox and worked at a restaurant when Bauer was there. Both men may think they “know food”, but I would disagree. They may have studied food things and eaten at lots of places, but… they don’t understand the dinning experience. Bauer often gives interesting reviews, but is not my kind of reviewer.
I also agree with you that even shows like Check Please guests bother me more often than not, but that is because as you said, everyone is different. I have been in the restaurant and hospitality industry for over 25 years and love it. I love many places for how I feel when I am there and not just because of one, or two things. I also agree that word of mouth is everything in this and many industries.
Thank you for all of your words and to you folks who comment on them, it is all good and a dialog is a good thing always!

By: Nancy

Nancy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:18:47 +0000

I ate at Bistro Jeanty around the same time as MB and had a totally different, very enjoyable experience. As always, any visit to a restaurant depends on the night, the crowd, the staff and the kitchen on duty. The reviewer’s opinion probably isn’t consistent since, after all, the reviewer is human and subject to variations in palate, attitude, etc.
Bottom line, for me, is that I go where I like to go and rely on my own opinions of places. I rarely agree with Jeff Cox (in fact have heard that he makes a point of announcing his presence) or Michael Bauer, but enjoy reading their opinions all the same.

By: BiteClub

BiteClub — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:27:03 +0000

Toby proves my point, which is that anyone can have an opinion…even if it is completely wrong.
One thing that I do want to correct is that critics accept free meals. Some may, but it is New York Times policy (we are owned by the Times) that we may not accept free meals when writing about a restaurant. I pay for the meals and am reimbursed by the company. I would never expect special treatment or not pay for a meal I am writing about. Most chefs know this policy and as much as I appreciate generous offers, I cannot accept them. I am bound to honor the NYT ethics code and consult my superiors when there is a squishy situation I’m unsure how to handle.
That extends to my family as well. On rare occasions my proud mama has been offered a free meal and I insist that she pay too.
I do fall into a strange category, being neither official critic nor a “staff” writer for the PD. I’m a food and wine writer with an opinion, a blog and a column on Sunday. I am in the same species, however, as the critics. Maybe with slightly different spots.
My experience is in my resume, which you can easily find online, though I haven’t updated in a couple years.
As for staging photos: I do sometimes ask chefs (after eating at the restaurant and paying for a meal) if I can return and take pictures. That was the case at Cyrus. It’s rare, though. I usually am at the mercy of whatever available light is around. In the past I’ve also taken photos for WineTravel magazine of food/restaurants which is outside my job as “blogger”.
All I know is that I have a great gig and a lot of really cool readers.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:23:14 +0000

I rely on critics and non-critics (your average diners)for restaurant feedback. Why not have all sorts of infornmation about a restaurant that you will spend money in. In these “tight economic” times, I personally don’t have an extra $100.00 or more to spend in a restaurant that doesn’t deserve it. So keep on with the hoity-toity, and also the taco trucks…cuz the more info (in any situation) the better.