Sam Sifton Era at NY Times

[Chris Amirault]

NYT Diners Blog just announced that Sam Sifton will be the new restaurant critic. Sifton has been Culture Editor for the paper (he had also served as dining editor there) and will be replacing Frank Bruni.

(Deep breath.) Thoughts?

ETA the dining editor bit.

Edited August 5, 2009 by chrisamirault (log)

[Chris Amirault]

A little snooping around revealed this NYTpicker blog entry about Sifton, who dissed star ratings systems in a Wall St Journal article:

We don't seek to reduce our arguments about a particular piece of art to a number, or letter grade, or golden spatulas, or whatever. These are numbers that aren't based on any rational or countable thing.

When asked about the NYT's restaurant rating system, he said that they were "the exception that proves the rule here." As NYTpicker cracks, it's good, I guess, that they're not golden spatulas.

[weinoo]

I believe I remember Sifton as a food writer for a local San Jose paper, when I lived there during the 80's and 90's. He was pretty good.

[weinoo]

I guess not according to wiki.

Come to think of it, maybe it was Sam Gugino.

[Chris Amirault]

His photo is sure easy to find -- and up in the kitchens of every restaurant in the five boroughs already, no doubt.

[slkinsey]

I was going to say... doesn't making Sam Sifton the reviewer pretty much throw in the towel with respect to supposed reviewer anonymity?

[Chris Amirault]

Grub Street just posted a Sam Sifton Reader. Their take on his oeuvre:

The writing is punchy, showing a flair for creative food description ... while also evincing some of Bruni’s humor. ... Sifton also has an eye for the anecdote: He spends two paragraphs describing a funny incident at Junior’s, wherein a man asked the host after his mother (“a big woman”). He knows his way around a simile and isn’t afraid of pop culture[.]

Grub Street doesn't expect much of a change from Bruni based on their quick review. More at the link, including excerpts.

[daisy17]

I like his writing - descriptive and pretty funny.

Grub Street - Sifton excerpts

[Chris Amirault]

Gawker's working on disguises.

[Fat Guy]

I'm surprised that I'm surprised. Now that I know the choice, it seems an obvious one. I'll be interested to read his work.

[Chris Amirault]

Bill Keller weighs in on the anonymity question here:

Some restaurants care desperately about critics, and keep the equivalent of a TSA watch list at the reservation desk. Others, probably most, are not on the lookout for critics because they are plenty busy doing their jobs. A review is almost always based on multiple, unannounced visits at different meals, and a reviewer’s own experience can be cross-checked with intelligence from others.So, while we don’t intend to put Sam’s face on sides of MTA buses, I’m not going to lose a lot of sleep over this.

But... for many of the most high profile restaurants in the most high profile restaurant city in the country, the people who "are plenty busy doing their jobs" are "on the lookout for critics." And what is this "intelligence" exactly?

Whatever you believe about the anonymity issue, this feels like a dodge, not an answer.

[Holly Moore]

The anonymity requirement is malarkey, but so is Keller's rationale that many restaurants won't recognize Sam Sifton. I doubt there is a single potential three star restaurant that will not peg Sifton as soon as he steps out of his cab.

[oakapple]

The anonymity requirement is malarkey, but so is Keller's rationale that many restaurants won't recognize Sam Sifton.  I doubt there is a single potential three star restaurant that will not peg Sifton as soon as he steps out of his cab.

←

Restaurants miss critics all the time. In this week's review of Union Square Cafe, Frank Bruni mentioned a recent visit, where his party sat down and was then ignored for 40 minutes. Now, Danny Meyer is one of the city's savvyest restauranteurs, his places have received multiple reviews from Bruni, and they've had 5 years to learn what he looks like. Yet they missed him. If Union Square Cafe can miss Bruni, you've got to figure that it can happen just about anywhere.

[Eatmywords]

So, it is a given that Marea will be his first?

[Sneakeater]

He doesn't start till October. (Between Bruni and then, there'll be temps.)

I think it's a given that Marea will be one of Bruni's last.

[oakapple]

So, it is a given that Marea will be his first?

←

As Sneakeater mentioned, Frank Bruni will be reviewing Marea, unless there is some kind of culinary earthquake between now and August 19.

It will be interesting, though, to see how Sifton begins. Bruni's first review was Babbo, and it was more about setting a tone for his tenure, since there was clearly no particular reason why Batali's restaurant needed a re-review at that time.

[Pan]

NYT Diners Blog just announced that Sam Sifton will be the new restaurant critic. Sifton has been Culture Editor for the paper (he had also served as dining editor there) and will be replacing Frank Bruni.

(Deep breath.) Thoughts?

ETA the dining editor bit.

←

I've liked his writing, so my snap reaction is that he could be a good pick. We shall see.

[Chris Amirault]

Discussion of Sifton's NYT restaurant reviews can now be found here.