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Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise
Ruth Reichl
#UC0332
Paperback, 333 pages; 2006 (2005)
$15.00
 Members' Price: $12.75
Ruth Reichl, now editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, chronicles her tenure as restaurant critic of the New York Times with honesty, humor, and passion. She took the job reluctantly, then threw herself into it wholeheartedly. Much of this memoir is very funny—especially Reichl's descriptions of the wigs and costumes she wore and the personae she assumed in order to dine publicly without being recognized. (In some cases she was horrified at the treatment she received, especially when she portrayed herself as a middle-aged, not well-dressed woman dining alone.) Throughout the book, she throws in some of her more notable reviews—and a few favorite recipes—to spice things up. But it's not all disguises and intrigue: restaurant criticism is serious business, and Reichl makes clear that a critic often walks a narrow and lonely path. For anyone who regularly reads restaurant reviews, Garlic and Sapphires is a revelation!
(EE)
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