Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise
by Ruth Reichl
|
|
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise.
discuss this book
friend reviews (0)
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 2705)
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
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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....more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
1 comments
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
4 comments
Read in July, 2004
recommends it for:
food enthusiasts
this was a fascinating book for anyone interested in the life of a food critic or just interested in good food. The book stars out with Ruth flying to NY to interveiw for the gig although the NY Times has already hired her. the woman sitting next to her on the plane explains: "your face was published in the NY Times and every restaurant has it pinned on their bulletin boards for a reward if they spot you walking into the restaurant." Ruth realizes she will not be able to give an unb...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2008
This was a delightful book. It was fun to see the world of NY restaurants from the point of view of the author, who was the NYT restaurant critic. I loved the way she disguised herself and recorded the differences in treatment she received. It felt like she was standing up for all the "nobodies" who get 2nd class service at expensive restaurants. She includes some recipes in the text, but none excited me very much as they were almost all full of bacon, shellfish and other very unko...more
Like this review?
yes
1 comments
Read in January, 2008
There were times during this book, when she was describing the food, where I could see myself at the restauarant. The way she described the smells, flavors, presentations, and textures made me salivate the same way I do when I watch food close ups on the Food Network. Those narratives, scattered throughout the book, were the highlights for me. I liked them more then I liked the NY Times reviews she included about the same restaurants. The rest of the book - the parts about dressing up, foolin...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
Foodies
In this memoir, Ruth Reichl, former NY Timesfood critic, tells of the wonderful food she eats and the disguises she wears while writing for the Times.
This is a great book for foodies. Reichl writes about food beuatifully and reprints many of her NY Times reviews within the chapters of the book. She name drops frequently, which can be interesting for those who know a lot about the NYC food scene, but could be boring for those who don't.
Recently I thought that being a food critic would be...more
This is a great book for foodies. Reichl writes about food beuatifully and reprints many of her NY Times reviews within the chapters of the book. She name drops frequently, which can be interesting for those who know a lot about the NYC food scene, but could be boring for those who don't.
Recently I thought that being a food critic would be...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
foodies
Overall this book was entertaining, and I really enjoyed the structure to it. Ruth Reichl was the food critic for the New York Times and would create elaborate costumes and characters so as not to be recognized. The chapters focus on each of the new characters along with the restaurant she is reviewing at the time (over 5+ visits) and end with the published review. Interspersed also are recipes based on the type of food she's reviewing, a nice little bonus in the book. Reichl is at her best w...more
Like this review?
yes
1 comments
