Originally Posted by
Pete
A couple of quick points about 'food critics' in this town.
They are all very cozy with a handful of owners and chefs and that's who they tend to cover. They also take tons of free food and drinks without ever disclosing that fact. It's incredibly unethical.
In other cities, serious food writers make reservations under assumed names and go out of their way not to call attention to themselves or get special treatment from chefs and waitstaff. And for obvious reasons: they want to have a typical dining experience and also have a duty to be as objective as possible.
Even though I do not consider myself a food critic, I get invited to soft openings and other free events virtually every week. I've completely stopped accepting anything free and will wait until the place is open for business, then I go spend my own money to support them.
This is the exact opposite of what is done at the Oklahoman, 405 and the legions of 'influencers' with blogs and social media accounts.
As a result, we have almost no legitimate food writers in this city, and that's a shame.
Bookmarks