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Hesser's restaurant advice column

Lesley C

By Lesley C
in Restaurant Life

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Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
Posted

Some might call the concluding paragraphs condescending, but to them I say it's easier to perceive condescension when you're reading a review than it is when you're writing it.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Fat Guy

Fat Guy

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Glenn: In the absence of tax returns and other verifiable documents, how do you judge a journalist's honesty?

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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glenn

glenn

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FG, I couldn't help but smile at your example of tax returns as being validating evidence. Judging from the news (and the markets), one would think accountants would have less respect than journalists nowadays (and that's getting pretty low :biggrin:)

Anyhow, I guess what I meant to say is I admire Hesser's willingness to speak her mind and write something critical in a column that rarely reports any criticism. I have no idea how valid or honest her critique was.

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Fat Guy

Fat Guy

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An important distinction -- thanks for articulating it -- that may deserve its own thread and will get it if I find myself in a non-lazy mood later.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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One cannot help but wonder whether Her Winsomeness was the cause of the disinterested (perhaps even hostile) service. Has anyone else been?

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Rail Paul

Rail Paul

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One cannot help but wonder whether Her Winsomeness was the cause of the disinterested (perhaps even hostile) service. Has anyone else been?

Amanda Hesser has not been writing the under $25 column for several weeks. I can't imagine she was able to review anonymously with all the media coverage she's received. The Thai place might have been the last review.

Of course, if they recognized her as a reviewer, and screwed her over, that doesn't sound like a good idea, either.

Apparently it's easier still to dictate the conversation and in effect, kill the conversation.

rancho gordo

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marcus

marcus

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I also can't stand her. I find her to be a self-promoter without core values. I recall her recently acting as a flak for some newly arrived socially prominent English television food personality on the E network. Her well remembered critique of Emeril a few years ago started off with negative comments about the show, probably well taken, and then proceeded to snide remarks about his career as a chef, selection as executive chef at Commanders Palace and his restaurant in New Orleans. It was clear that she had no personal knowledge and was just passing on the agneda driven opinions of others. My view is that Emeril is a great chef and that I've had some of my best meals in this country in his restaurant, and its a shame that he's squandering his talent.

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Lesley C

Lesley C

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I usually enjoy La Hesser's work.

I think, however, she should be careful in restaurant reviews not to get into telling people how things should be done. She should be reviewing the place, not telling them how to better their business. Those kind of comments aren't about honesty; it's I-know-better-than-you-itis, and it's a very slippery slope to go down -- especially if you've never owned a restaurant.

Heaven knows, as a restaurant reviewer myself, I've been tempted. But, IMO, it's impossible to do without sounding patronizing.

My Webpage
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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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Winsome lose some.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Kim WB

Kim WB

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I can't stand her.  And ever since she gave accolades to a truly mediocre Thai place in my 'hood a couple of weeks ago, I'll never take her seriously again.

Oh, c'mon, fess up...you stopped taking her seriously when Tad came into the picture!! :biggrin:

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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Too soon to ask for more pictures, right?   :wub:

hessepic.gifis very logo1a.gif

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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mamster

mamster

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I recently ended a negative review with that kind of advice, although I didn't tell them to paint. Generally I agree that the advice should be implicit in the criticisms, but in this case I felt, as I think Hesser did, that there might be a good restaurant hiding within a bad one. Kind of like when a rock writer reviews a double album and says, "There's one good album of material here." Okay, I guess that is annoying.

Does Hesser wear a disguise when she goes out? If so, does Jinmyo have a picture of it?

Matthew Amster-Burton, aka "mamster"

Author, Hungry Monkey, coming in May

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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disguise.gif

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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wingding

wingding

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The controversies about her writing style aside...she's pretty on the mark about this place...I've dined there,and the service and paint job Are kind of hideous.Backseat cooking and decorating is easy,..but hate is an awfully strong word.

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Fat Guy

Fat Guy

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I have yet to see a good photo of Ms. Hesser. In person, she is truly lovely. If she ever went missing and the police distributed the above photo, nobody would ever find her.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Ron Johnson

Ron Johnson

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She is getting in the bad habit of saying stupid things in addition to her usual rude ones. In this case she says that the place needs better olive oil because the artichokes require something more buttery. What? Olive oil, fruity, yes, peppery, yes, olivey, yes . . . buttery? no. Umm, for that flavor, I recommend butter, or california chardonnay.

I am still having a difficult time discerning the nature of Nina's feelings toward the winsome one, I wish she would stop being so wishy-washy and just tell us how she really feels. :blink:

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