Peter Meehan gives an "exit interview" to Eater regarding his departure as the New York Times's "$25 and Under" columnist. I think this passage sums up food-critic wankery perfectly: "But if I've learned anything doing this gig, it's that unless I'm across the table from Frank, bitching about the minor indignities of restaurant reviewing is pretty boring to everybody except the person doing the complaining." Meehan also recommends former Village Voice food blogger Nina Lalli as a replacement....
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New York Times food-related stories worth checking out if you have the time: A jazz musician dons a chef's toque to cook a Marcella Hazan-inspired Valentine's Day feast for his wife. A legitimately sweet Valentine's Day story. Peter Meehan checks out the latest soba noodle temple, Soba Totto. Some day I'd like to go on a soba noodle tour of New York. Where should I go? People with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) battle powerful demons in restaurants. Mark Bittman cooks up shrimp with sun-dried tomatoes. Do the sun-dried tomatoes overwhelm the shrimp?...
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In today's New York Times, Peter Meehan says The Big Apple May Never Be Known as the Big Sparerib, but It’s Smokin’: "New York’s barbecue scene may be missing a lot of things — like dirt roads and screen doors and decades of deep-seated tradition — but love for barbecue in the city is strong. And in the past couple of years the product has caught up to the passion. Restaurants that hobbled out of the gate have hit their strides. The best pits in and around the city have gotten better." Whether you live in the city, are planning to visit or just love barbecue, it's worth reading for Meehan's descriptions of what to eat at the nine...
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After a brief hiatus, A Hamburger Today's Q&A column, Grilled, is back. This week's installment is Peter Meehan, who has discovered and then relayed the news of some of New York City's finest burgers in the pages of the New York Times. Grilled, griddled, or broiled? All of the above. Didn’t George Motz teach us that burgers can be steamed and deep-fried, too? Is there even a verb for what they do to the burgers at Louis’ Lunch in New Haven? I find grilling and broiling to be the surest approaches to properly cooked patties, but I have no allegiance to any one style....
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