Customer Reviews

Dining Out: Secrets from America's Leading Critics, Chefs, and Restaurateurs

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

DINING OUT is a unique take on the current American fascination with restaurants. It's the first overview I've ever seen on how restaurant critics approach their job, and a fascinating one at that. Although it does stretch the average person's mind to generate symphathy for the food critic who must dine out night after night, the authors' synthesis of many interviews gives new dimension into how these critics shape our tastes and expectations. Moreover, they balance the critics' viewpoints by offering up a selection of glitterati chefs, who express themselves openly and pungently. Living in NYC, my husband and I eat out a lot, and I found this book useful in learning how to get the best service and the best food. There are also juicy tidbits about critics and restaurateurs that enliven the text throughout.

DINING OUT is a chatty, amusing and often surprising look at restaurant culture and the increasingly influential women and men who tell us where to eat and why. (Whenever I've wondered about what it would be like to be a food and restaurant critic, the possibility of grievous bodily harm never crossed my mind.) The book offers tasty vignettes, some thought-provoking views on taste (in all senses) and celebrity, recommendations by the critics of their favorite restaurants, advice on how to choose wines and cheeses, and elegant photographs, all packaged in a nicely designed book and presented in a pleasing conversational style. A treat even for the neophyte foodie.

As someone who follows the restaurant scene with the same level of enthusiasm that some teenagers follow Jessica Simpson, I got caught up with all the brouhaha around the debut of the new New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni. This got me curious about restaurant critics and their methods and whether anyone had ever studied the subject, which led me to the one-of-a-kind book Dining Out by Dornenburg and Page. I found it incredibly illuminating, not to mention entertaining. The authors dissect every detail of how reviews are written and stars awarded, based on interviews with leading food critics such as Tom Sietsema (now of The Washington Post), S. Irene Virbila (of The Los Angeles Times), and Dennis Ray Wheaton (of Chicago Magazine). They also interview leading chefs and restaurateurs about their views on critics and the power of the press. I've come to learn that there is as much or more drama in the world of restaurants as there is in opera! This book even breaks down what it took to get a four-star review when former restaurant reviewer Ruth Reichl was at the helm.

Every discerning diner should read this book for an eye-opening look at the state of contemporary restaurant criticism, not to mention a tasty behind-the-scenes read about some of the country's best restaurants (including the rise and fall and rise again of New York's own Chanterelle restaurant, which just won Restaurant of the Year at this year's James Beard Foundation Awards).

Dining Out takes the reader through the world of restaurants and critics, through the changing temperament of the American palate, and the evolving relationship between chefs and restaurant criticism. It explores a variety of interesting topics, such as the beginnings of a culinary critical establishment in Europe and in the U.S. and the "sociology" of the food critic. Through interviews with the country's leading dining critics (including Ruth Reichl, who "models" for the book's cover), the authors help demystify the dining review. One learns, for example, that while some critics judge a restaurant solely on food, others will give equal weight to the place's decor, service, and general atmosphere. The authors explain the controversial use of the "star system," and quote several chefs and critics who don't care for the system at all. The book is entertaining in its presentation, with lots of interspersed stories, interviews and charts. Indeed, there's a list of the major restaurant reviewers and where they went to college, and there's a nice page on food in film. Some interviews prove to be practical, such as how to judge the quality of wines and cheese. Most of the book, in fact, proves to be useful by suggesting how one might in fact judge one's own dining experience.

There is a lot to like about this book-- if you can find it! Between layout, verbiage, and sidebars, there is no flow of language at all-- this is simply a huge buffet of interviews roughly (emphasis on "roughly") organized along thematic lines. The text may be interrupted by two of three pages of a topical commentary by another critic or restaurateur; long quotations related to the topic may be found in the margins; thumbnail reviews of some restaurants in some cities may be found in the back.

But curiously, for a book that wants to explore the role, place, function, and substance of the food critic in our society, this book fails to offer many examples of "good criticism." For instance, we learn that other critics love the writing of Gael Greene or Ruth Reichl, but we are not given excerpts from their supposedly noteworthy reviews. Instead, what we have is a real mishmash of text that appears to be the result of standard interviews, cut and pasted into wherever the editors feel it fits. That's three stars... as in average. With higher expectations. Oh well, as Johann Killeen of Al Forno in Providence, RI, says, "any publicity is good publicity."

True for Al Forno; less so for this book.

As a fan of both Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me With Apples, I've been looking forward to learning more about Ruth Reichl's life as one of America's most influential restaurant critics. This book was a fun look at what Ruth and other top critics do for a living: the secretiveness (and how she used disguises and credit cards with different names), the challenges (such as the weirdest things they've ever eaten, which range from fried worms to braised goat penis!), and the highlights (such as Ruth being told at Le Cirque, "The King of Spain is waiting in the bar, but your table is ready"). Dining Out is an enjoyable and informative read for any intelligent reader who loves the world of restaurants and the fascinating people who populate it!

I became intrigued by the life of restaurant critics after reading former New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl's wonderful memoirs "Tender at the Bone" and "Comfort Me With Apples" and wanted to learn more about the ultimate profession for people who love to eat (but don't necessarily love to cook). Ruth appears on the cover of "Dining Out" (wearing a beautiful black hat whose brim covers most of her lovely face), and there are lots of photographs of her on the inside as well where she shares some of her hilarious experiences reviewing restaurants. There is probably more about Ruth in this book than any other critic interviewed. One of the authors (Andrew Dorneburg) is a chef who has cooked for Ruth and writes about how nerve-wracking it was when she came in to eat at the restaurant where he was working at the time and she was recognized (despite the fact that she went on to buy numerous wigs and wore various disguises on other visits to other restaurants in order to remain anonymous). I never realized how much a critic's opinion can sometimes make or break a restaurant. I also enjoyed reading Ruth's list of her favorite restaurants across the United States (the back of the book is kind of a restaurant guide, and mentions different critics favorite restaurants in cities across the US) and hope that someday I can eat at every one of them!

"Dining Out" is a fascinating book that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves dining out in restaurants and/or is curious about what it's like for Ruth Reichl and other restaurant critics who do so on a regular basis. It is an informative, funny, and touching journey through life in and around the restaurant business.

"Anybody who has ever dreamed of joining a restaurant critic's inner circle will thoroughly enjoy this gossipy, insider's view by the 1996 winners of the James Beard Award for Best Writing on Food (BECOMING A CHEF). Interviews with leading critics and restaurateurs are a major part of the authors' investigation into the methods employed by critics and the effect they have on restaurateurs' culinary ideals. It's a (relatively) serious topic, but one Dornenburg and Page address in a vibrant, conversational tone. Thanks to the unexpectedly dramatic lives of the characters involved, the pages buzz with often surprising tension, humor and emotion. Readers hear from restaurateurs who have staked fortunes on a creative vision, only to find that success often rests in the hands of a single, highly opinionated, sometimes unpredictable writer. The critics, meanwhile (most notably The New York Times' Ruth Reichl, teasingly shown on the cover wearing a face-obscuring hat), don wigs to maintain anonymity, fend off attacks from knife-wielding chefs, and eat such dubious delicacies as braised goat penis and worms fried in lard. After being regaled with so many tart and entertaining observations, the final 100 service-oriented pages (Internet review sites, critics favorite restaurants in selected cities) are somewhat anticlimactic. But just treat them like the after-dinner mint and the rest of the meal will get high marks for its appealing presentation, spice and color." --PW

"Finally, the best insider's view of our business for the discerning restaurant goer. Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page do a wonderful job of exploring the 'behind the scenes' side of professional cooking -- from how critics work to how chefs think. Their style is chatty, and interspersed with interesting quotes and interviews, which makes for a very enjoyable read. As New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl would say, 'Four stars!'"

Given the first two books they wrote, I expected more. This volume seems to be just a fluff piece to pay the bills. If there was a positive, I have realized that I know as much about food as most of the reviewers. At the same time, the chefs complained about reviewers not understanding them. When I go out to eat, I am NOT there to understand the chef. It's my money, then need to understand me. It may be worth reading but get it from the library.