Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise
by Ruth Reichl
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Read in February, 2008
Reichl served as the New York Times food critic from 1993 to 1999, and this book is about her years as "The New York Times Food Critic" -- but it's also about her struggle to evade the identity of The New York Times Food Critic (tm) and get people an honest, egalitarian review of what, exactly, they're going to get out of their meal.
I vaguely remember bits and pieces of the controversy when Reichl took over the reins, but this book really blew the whole thing open. The problems she w...more
I vaguely remember bits and pieces of the controversy when Reichl took over the reins, but this book really blew the whole thing open. The problems she w...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
Chefs, waitresses, those who love to eat good food
The title of Gourmet magazine editor Ruth Reichl’s third food memoir comes from TS Eliot’s Four Quartets and is courtesy Ruth’s husband, Michael but the reader doesn’t understand his reasoning for the quote until near the end of this delightful collection of tales of Reichl’s time as food editor of the New York Times.
Filled with stories of her life as a critic, reviews of New York restaurants—well known and some not as well known, as well as recipes, this book is absolutely unput...more
Filled with stories of her life as a critic, reviews of New York restaurants—well known and some not as well known, as well as recipes, this book is absolutely unput...more
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Read in January, 2008
As the New York Times’s restaurant critic for most of the 1990s, Reichl had what some might consider the best job in town; among her missions were evaluating New York City’s steakhouses, deciding whether Le Cirque deserved four stars and tracking down the best place for authentic Chinese cuisine in Queens. Thankfully, the rest of us can live that life vicariously through this vivacious, fascinating memoir. The book—Reichl’s third—lifts the lid on the city’s storied restaurant culture from the democratic perspective of the everyday diner. Reichl creates wildly innovative getups, becoming Brenda, a red-haired aging hippie, to test the food at Daniel; Chloe, a blonde divorcée, to evaluate Lespinasse; and even her deceased mother, Miriam, to dine at 21. Such elaborate disguises—which include wigs, makeup, thrift store finds and even credit cards in other names—help Reichl maintain anonymity in her work, but they also do more than that. “Every restaurant is a theater,” she explains. Each one “offer[s:] the opportunity to become someone else, at least for a little while. Restaurants free us from mundane reality.” Reichl’s ability to experience meals in such a dramatic way brings an infectious passion to her memoir. Reading this work—which also includes the finished reviews that appeared in the newspaper, as well as a few recipes—ensures that the next time readers sit down in a restaurant, they’ll notice things they’ve never noticed before.
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Read in May, 2008
Ruth Reichl is a good writer. She's a good critic. She's apparently a good chameleon, as well. GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES, Reichl's memoir of her time as the restaurant critic at the NY Times, is an enjoyable read, for the most part, that tells more than just the travails of a food critic. Reichl delivers some interesting "inner monologues" on the nature of self, and the several potential personalities that dwell within all of us. She also serves up a smattering of recipes, and several ...more
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Read in December, 2007
I remember hearing Ruth Reichl's food reviews on NPR back at least ten years ago and being so impressed with her vivid descriptions. Reading this book helped me better appreciate the art of the entire dining experience. Ruth's descriptions are so luscious (despite the fact that she sometimes overdoes saying that a particular dish is, "unlike anything I'd ever tasted before") that as I read this book I was inspired to eat a little more slowly and really savor the flavors of my meals....more
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I am actually listening to the unabridged cassettee of this book, but I cannot find that version on good reads.
I decided to use this book as my final selection for the Armchair Traveler's Reading Challenge. I finished listening to it at 8:00 p.m. EST on the 31st. A lot of the action could not have taken place if the narrator was not in New York. From this challenge, I have decided that I need to go to New York. This book was also the selection for Planet Book's in November.
When I...more
I decided to use this book as my final selection for the Armchair Traveler's Reading Challenge. I finished listening to it at 8:00 p.m. EST on the 31st. A lot of the action could not have taken place if the narrator was not in New York. From this challenge, I have decided that I need to go to New York. This book was also the selection for Planet Book's in November.
When I...more
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Read in December, 2007
I love reading Ruth Reichl. The first book I read of hers, Tender at the Bone, was charming and evocative, and it had some killer recipes to boot (the pork and tomatillo stew is absolutely amazing...recipe available upon request!).
Garlic and Sapphires didn't quite capture me in the same way as TATB, but it was still a good read. My one disclaimer is I read this book after reading the Harry Potter series for the first time straight through, so almost anything would have ...more
Garlic and Sapphires didn't quite capture me in the same way as TATB, but it was still a good read. My one disclaimer is I read this book after reading the Harry Potter series for the first time straight through, so almost anything would have ...more
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone who has (or has thought of) eating in New York City
Living in Manhattan is incredibly expensive, but eating well in Manhattan isn't. That's the one thing I learned when I lived there in 1998.
When Reichl came to the New York Times as restaurant critic in the nineties, however, the paper was not known for reviewing the incredibly delicious (and incredibly affordable) ethnic restaurants that are thick upon the ground. For the Times, a four star restaurant was inevitably French, inevitably required reservations, and inevitably grant...more
When Reichl came to the New York Times as restaurant critic in the nineties, however, the paper was not known for reviewing the incredibly delicious (and incredibly affordable) ethnic restaurants that are thick upon the ground. For the Times, a four star restaurant was inevitably French, inevitably required reservations, and inevitably grant...more
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Read in September, 2007
Some books can be measured by how much emotion they draw out of you. They draw you into the world of the main character and you are enthralled to learn that people can live in such interesting ways. On this emotion-rendering scale, Garlic and Sapphires is as successful as a Yankees and Red Sox game, but creating a completely different ambiance and mood more akin to that of a deeply personal meditation.
The book is a memoir of Ruth Reichl's time as the restaurant critic at the New York Times...more
The book is a memoir of Ruth Reichl's time as the restaurant critic at the New York Times...more
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I'd be a terrible food critic. I loved this little Chinese place that everyone else hated. It finally went out of business. I also loved a little authentic Mexican place where they always gave you kind of warmish water out of a pitcher that sat on the back counter. Their $4 burritoes rocked. They also went out of business.
How come I always like food that other people don't think is good? Oh yeah, I also like Chuck a Rama. Yum!
Speaking of eating, my husband's family (particularly my mothe...more
How come I always like food that other people don't think is good? Oh yeah, I also like Chuck a Rama. Yum!
Speaking of eating, my husband's family (particularly my mothe...more
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recommends it for:
food lovers!
This is the third installment that Ruth Reichl shares about her life. This book follows her as she becomes the NY Times restaurant critic.
While flying to NY to start the job she realizes that she's going to be recognized and must come up with a plan to eat out and not be treated as the NY Times restaurant critic. So she comes up with the fabulous idea of transforming herself into different people. She enlists help from her mother's friend and "becomes" her characters. She finds out t...more
While flying to NY to start the job she realizes that she's going to be recognized and must come up with a plan to eat out and not be treated as the NY Times restaurant critic. So she comes up with the fabulous idea of transforming herself into different people. She enlists help from her mother's friend and "becomes" her characters. She finds out t...more
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We're all nosy gossips at heart. This snappy account of Ruth Reichl's six years as The New York Times restaurant critic won't disappoint those looking for an insider's view of reviewing. Most of the book takes place in various swanky restaurants, but Reichl selects her most creative reviews and rarely wanders into Snobdom. After Reichl was pegged as the new critic for the Times on her flight to New York by the woman sitting next to her, she decided she would be needing some disguises. She create...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
gourmands, foodies, compulsive eaters
I just just started this one, and Reichl hasn't yet taken her job at the NYTimes. I like the way she writes, and I don't really know what to say about it; my literary criticism goes out the window as I'm reading it. I simply enjoy the words. And the topic interests me. And I just remembered that the episode of Psych I watched last night (hey! shouldn't there be an equivalent to this site about television shows? Wait, forget I said that!) was about the murder of a food critic? That was awesome. S...more
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Read in January, 2006
"Most little girls, I think, grow up with the instinctive understanding that we have the power to direct the way the world sees us."
A semi-memoir, combined with reviews and recipes, Reichl starts the book with her decision to take the food critic position at the New York Times, after a successful & satisfying run at the Los Angeles Times. She quickly discovers the need to go "undercover" when reviewing some of the most famous restaurants in New York. As she cre...more
A semi-memoir, combined with reviews and recipes, Reichl starts the book with her decision to take the food critic position at the New York Times, after a successful & satisfying run at the Los Angeles Times. She quickly discovers the need to go "undercover" when reviewing some of the most famous restaurants in New York. As she cre...more
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Read in March, 2008
I'd saved my birthday as a work-free day, and it turned out to be a snowy grey mess. Imagine my delight when I opened my bday package from E & C to find this. E called it "comforting," which seemed surprising to me. It's about restaurant-reviewing. Comforting? But yes, there was something comforting about the book. (Obviously. I devoured the whole thing in an afternoon.)
This book recounts Reichl's job as the NYT restaurant critic, describing her efforts to disguise herself in ...more
This book recounts Reichl's job as the NYT restaurant critic, describing her efforts to disguise herself in ...more
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
foodies, people who care about fancy eating
I can't afford fancy meals in expensive restaurants, which is fine, since I'm pretty sure I would hate everything they ever served me. But Ruth Reichl's memoir of her tenure as the New York Times food critic made me wish I could enjoy black truffles, sashimi and foie gras just because she does.
Reichl developed a habit of eating for her reviews in disguise, a ploy that allowed her to get around the star treatment and eat as the people eat in these establishments. It's fun to follow along as sh...more
Reichl developed a habit of eating for her reviews in disguise, a ploy that allowed her to get around the star treatment and eat as the people eat in these establishments. It's fun to follow along as sh...more
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Read in June, 2008
For well over a year, I've joined my friend and co-worker Trevor for lunch. 9 times out of 10, he goes to the same two restaurants to get either salmon or sushi. I can probably count the number of times he's eaten somewhere or something else. If it were up to him, mealtime would be like it is in the Matrix: you take a pill that contains all your nutrients and you're done for the day. He doesn't understand how anybody could be interested in food or discuss it in detail, which is what I enjoy doin...more
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
Liza, Pamela
I really enjoyed this book. It reads like a combination travelogue/memoir/cookbook, thus combining some of my favorite genres. The stories of Ruth Reichl's disguises as she visits various New York hot spots are hilarious; the insights she gains about her own personality were poignant. I loved the descriptions of the restaurants she reviewed, and the fact that she adds in fabulous recipes is a plus. If you're looking for a good summer read, this is a contender.
****
Man, I love this book....more
****
Man, I love this book....more
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Read in July, 2008
Ruth Reichl was happily writing about restaurants in Los Angeles when the New York Times came calling. The next thing she knew, she and her husband and young son had moved to New York and she was the food critic for the Old Gray Lady. Had she merely written about restaurant gossip, food and the perks of the job, this would have been a good read. She went further, describing her evolution in the job, her personal and professional re...more
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Read in July, 2008
While I love Ruch Reichl's writing style, subject matter, and thought I'd fall more and more in love with her with each book, this one didn't captivate me quite as much as Tender at the Bone or Comfort Me With Apples. But I wonder if it's because I read all three of her books in pretty close succession. Even though I was hungry for more after the first two, I might recommend spacing them out a little more.
Garlic & Sapphires is Reichl's recap of her life as the restaurant critic for the ...more
Garlic & Sapphires is Reichl's recap of her life as the restaurant critic for the ...more
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