Garlic and Sapphires
The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise
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4.3 • 263 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Author of Save Me the Plums Ruth Reichl’s iconic, bestselling memoir of her time as an undercover restaurant critic for The New York Times
"Expansive and funny." —Entertainment Weekly
Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and former editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world—a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities. In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichl reveals the comic absurdity, artifice, and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world and gives us—along with some of her favorite recipes and reviews—her remarkable reflections on how one’s outer appearance can influence one’s inner character, expectations, and appetites, not to mention the quality of service one receives.
“[A] wonderful book, which is funny—at times laugh-out-loud funny—and smart and wise.” —Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Superstar food writer Ruth Reichl offers us a seat at the table for her six-year tenure as restaurant critic for the New York Times. In addition to exploring why humans have such intense physical and emotional responses to the most dazzling meals, Reichl introduces us to all the eclectic, fully fleshed-out personas she invented to dodge suspicious waiters and kitchen staff. Funny, honest, and packed with mouthwateringly vivid detail (not to mention recipes!), Garlic and Sapphires reveals an unmistakable love for both the highs and lows of fine dining.
Customer Reviews
A fun romp through Ruth’s time as a top restaurant critic!
Captivating stories, one after another, about good food and living at the pinnacle of the American food scene. Great read!