Because there were so many articles that we had to read for today, I am going to do my best at just highlighting some of the general things I noticed and some high points from a couple of them. Otherwise, I’m sure, this blog post would be unbearably long, repetitive, and most likely boring.
A trend that I noticed in the reviews by Sifton that I was particularly fond of was the way in which he was able to extend the critiques to talking about so much more than simply how the food at a particular restaurant tastes. In the review of Osteria Morini he gives background about just which part of Italy the food at this restaurant is inspired by. In the review of Kenmare, he spends some time talking about the owners and founders of the restaurant, so that we can fully understand the origins of this particular establishment. All of the background information and sidenotes in these reviews helped to give me the feeling that he really knew what he was talking about, and that if I read his reviews carefully enough, I’d soon know exactly what I was talking about as well.
Another trend in his writings that I liked was his habit of commenting and reviewing more than just the food at each restaurant. He often commented on the atmosphere and the service as well, things which I rarely think about but which I know are equally as important aspects of the dining experience.
Finally, though this really doesn’t need to be said, the way in which he described food was incredible. Everything he described sounded appetizing--unless he didn’t want to portray it that way--and the descriptions were vivid, clear, and well-crafted. The reader very easily got the sense that he knew what he was talking about when it came to food, as of course he should as the New York Times food critic. His tone was overall clear and easy to read, and reading all of these reviews left me unbelievably hungry.
Switching gears slightly, I’d also like to make a few comments about Gael Greene’s advice to a 10-year-old budding food critic. This was one of my favorite pieces that we read. The voice was clear and humorous, respectful yet sarcastic. Some of the things she said came across very tongue-in-cheek to me (does she really expect him to develop a new video game to profit from) yet all of the advice she gave rang true somehow. The main messages in this piece were clear-- in order to be a food critic, you must know food and know it well. You need experience, knowledge, and practice. Her advice was solid and helpful. However, judging from the return letter from Oscar at the end, I kind of got the feeling that he didn’t get some of the jokes, which shows that despite who the letter was addressed to, I was much more a member of the intended audience than Oscar was, at least at age 10.u
Kira,
ReplyDeleteFor me the best thing in all these articles were how their authors found the precise adjectives to describe every single dish and ingredient. After read two words, you were able to crave all that food, even though you don't know what is it. It only sounded soooo delicious! This is something only few are able to accomplish!