non-foodies just don't understand foodies. so when i eat with friends , especially if i'm on a date, i'll explain to people that the definition of a "foodie" is someone who is obsessed with food, and that they should not take anything i say personally. this seems to work. sometimes.
a couple of months ago when i dined at eleven madison park (the new chef is one of my faves), my dining companion tongue-in-cheekly blurted out "she's a food critic" to our waiter. even though i quickly said "no i'm not !" , and i had no camera and took no notes, halfway through our meal the chef daniel humm came out to our table to say hello.
3 months prior to that, when i dined there with another companion who had called ahead to pre-arrange a 13 course tasting menu to go with some special wines he had brought, the chef did not come out to say hello to us even though this was a much more expensive meal.
chefs and restauranteurs are aware of the power of public opinion to impact the success or failure of their restaurant, whether from a paid writer or an unpaid blogger, it's part marketing, self preservation and common sense. let's face it, most people with jobs treat their bosses who sign their paychecks with more respect than their co-workers , so the concept of "VIP's" exist everywhere in life, not just in a pricy restaurant.
go bloggers !!
Just what the world needs, 100,000 amateur food critics...OMG! Scarey. If you want to be a critic why not declare open season on all computer companies who haven't perfected a computer to be compatible with MS. What about retail stores who repackage returned (often faulty) merchandise and sell it as new. Consumer goods that don't work or fall apart within a short time. What about lousy service in stores and government offices. Why pick on restaurants. If you really want to know something about restaurants get a job in one for a few months, then lets hear your "critique." When you're "critiquing," restaurants, ask yourself what kind of job your doing when you're at work...Man...make me soooo crazy...Why does EVERYONE wanna be food critique. Go have another hamburger. Then get a life.
If you are reviewing a restaurant I don't really think it right to take a free meal. In any other profession that would get you fired. Did you know that you were called a “a world-class mooch" by and article in the NY Mag?
Can't we spin being a Food Bully in a positive way? Like, let's just say that Food Bullies like us are only thinking of the happiness of our friends and family members. We just want THEM to experience the wonder of eating great food, like we do! (I have a friend who I bully a fair amount and I've actually gotten her to try a few new foods that she likes). Yahoo!
oh my, I have never heard of Equal in wine. That is....scary. I put Equal in my tea and oatmeal...but never in coffee and certainly NEVER in wine. Or Sprite...although that's probably a variation on homemade wine coolers.
I guess I've been a bit of a "food snob" over the years but the fact that I don't push or boss others into my choices may save me from being a "food bully". A few months ago I discovered what it felt like to be on the receiving end of food bullying and it was NOT fun. I was actually offended....I went on a business trip with friends and we stayed at family of one of the gals. one night we wanted to cook the host couple's a nice dinner as a thank you (the guy didn't like to eat out and was tired). So we three guests headed to Wild Oats (similar to Whole Foods) to buy our ingredients...we tossed around some ideas and no one seemed to like mine. Mine were kind of simple/casual gourmet...the two of them only liked their ideas - lemon chicken, salad, and sourdough bread. Finally I offered to make a couple of appetizers and buy the wine (I do know my wines) - but then they wanted to know what kind of appetizers? So I even had to have that approved by them. It was a very strange experience and I realized how it must feel to be on the other end of food bullying. It ended up NOT being a great meal either...just basic and the chicken was overcooked...but the wine tasted mighty fine!
In restaurants my husband always selects items that are more basic than the ones I choose. And I don't mind - its what he enjoys. And he doesn't bother me about what I want to order. We rarely share dishes because of this.
Hi I'm Killer and I'm a Food Bully - I thought I was alone until I read Kitchen Confidential and found out what an A**hole Bordain was too. I also berated my Mother at an early age for cooking the "Same Food" on a blatheringly boring monthly rotation schedule (3rd Wednesday of the month it must be Chicken Bla-De-Blah Caserole with mashed potatoes and green beens and a green salad). At least until she clipped some horrid recipe from Family Circle and a new dish like "Creamed Corn Critters" or "Spam Dandies" (I'm not making these up) would magically appear in the roster. Nonetheless, we ate well day in and day out.
I've had to learn that most people like what they were raised on, even if it was Peanut Butter and Poop. So I'm learning, late in life that the importance of cooking for friends is the word "FOR". Spam Dandy Anyone?
From the New York Times article on Jim Harrison: "Mr. Harrison, a self-described “food bully,” has very particular ideas about cooking. He thinks rosemary should be banned. He has no use for huge restaurant-style ranges: “Why should I spend $7,000 for a stove when I could spend $7,000 on food?” And he doesn’t believe that game, birds especially, should be tarted up with elaborate sauces. “As the French say, game birds taste best at the point of the gun,” he said."
A Food Bully Haiku
Food Bullies Abound
Telling you what not to eat
And then there is SPAM
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