NY Restaurant Reviews

[ulterior epicure]

Other than R. Reichl's Garlic & Sapphires and Mimi Sheraton's Eating My Words, does anyone know of a NY Times anthology of restaurant reviews?

u.e.

Edited July 4, 2006 by ulterior epicure (log)

[Sneakeater]

I don't think there's a current one. They used to put them out periodically (they were called "guides" rather than "anthologies", but the write-ups were all or mostly based on published reviews), so if you're interested for historical reasons you might be able find some of the old out-of-print ones on used book websites.

[ulterior epicure]

Thanks Sneakeater!

Do you remember what they were called, these "guides?" I've tried looking for them on Amazon, but nothing...

u.e.

[Sneakeater]

I think the titles varied. At least one was called something like The New York Times Guide to New York Restaurants (and it was never anything much more creative than that).

I feel terrible, cuz the one or two old ones I had got thrown out in a bout of cleaning last year. (I knew I'd regret it.) I'm pretty sure Fat Guy has referred to his having at least one of them, so with luck he'll see this thread and pipe in.

[ulterior epicure]

... I know, just like the time I dumped a whole box full of Smurf cartoon cells (this was back in the '80's)... only to walk into a cartoon gallery a few years later to find each cell retailing in the thousands... Doh!.

With luck, I'll be able to track down some of these guides - maybe on eBay. Really, what I'm after, are just compilations of restaurant reviews - be they from magazines (e.g. Gourmet, Saveur, etc.) or major newspapers.

Anyone else out there with suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

u.e.

[Sneakeater]

Here are some links to discussions here that mention editions of these Times guides (AND GIVE THE TITLES):

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=49482

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=49627&st=0

Edited July 4, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Sneakeater]

There was a New York restaurant guide from the Eighties by Seymour Britchky which essentially compiled entries from his newsletter.

I think that Mimi Sheraton also published a similar guide, maybe a few years after Britchky's, compiling entries from her newsletter.

Edited July 4, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Sneakeater]

The Britchky guide is discussed (and its full title given) in the site linked below. It also mentions a Mimi Sheraton book, but it isn't the one I was thinking of, but rather another New York Times guide.

http://foodfest.neworleans.com/top_ten.php?TTID=280

Edited July 4, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Sneakeater]

And look at this. Here's a fairly recent (but still pre-Bruni) New York Times guide that appears to be easily available, if not in print:

http://www.bookfinder4u.com/compare.bfu?isbn=0966865995

Edited July 4, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Sneakeater]

This is the non-New York Times Mimi Sheraton guide I was thinking of:

http://www.bookfinder4u.com/detail/0135875935.html

That site lists a whole bunch of New York Times guides from over the years, BTW.

(Sorry if this is getting tiresome.)

Edited July 4, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[ulterior epicure]

Sneakeater!

Not tiresome at all! I just found a couple of copies of 1964 (Miller) and 1970's (Canaday) guides online and they are on their way to me!

Thanks for the links, I'll check these out as soon as I can.

u.e.

[Sneakeater]

If "Miller" means Bryan, it can't be 1964.

(THAT was tiresome, right?)

Edited July 4, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[ulterior epicure]

Oops... I meant Claiborne - that's Craig, not Liz.

[Sneakeater]

The Liz Claiborne one is incredibly rare. I'd be shocked if you would be willing to pay what it fetches in the secondary market.

[ulterior epicure]

yeah - you know how those *designer* guides are!