Who is this guy?

[Alex]

Despite my prowess at trivia games and the like, I was unable to come up with an answer, or even an inkling of an answer, to a friend's inquiry. Can anyone help? Here's what he wrote to me:

I once read a bit about a restaurant reviewer whose methodology involved picking the least palatable thing on a menu and then eating it until he liked it--so that he could move forward and actually judge future attempts at that item as good/bad.

The most memorable part was his going to some Korean (?) place and ordering something slimy looking that had an alien, non-food odor to the Western nose, and then proceding to force it down--and his repeating the process over time until he made it one of his favorite dishes--at which point he ate the meal at different locations and went on to write his reviews.

Ring a bell? I'm trying to track down the original piece.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Alex (log)

[gfweb]

Steingarten talked about doing this prior to being a reviewer for Vogue, as a preparation. I think it in The Man Who Ate Everything.

IIRC he never got to liking Greek food.

[Alex]

Steingarten talked about doing this prior to being a reviewer for Vogue, as a preparation. I think it in The Man Who Ate Everything.

IIRC he never got to liking Greek food.

Yes! It's in the Introduction. I thank you. My friend thanks you in absentia.