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A review by okiecozyreader
Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I’m kind of reading Ruth Reichl’s memoirs in reverse this fall. But after enjoying SAVE ME THE PLUMS, I decided to listen to this one when it was chosen for the Jen Hatmaker bookclub. Her books have been such a nice listen at times when my mind is overwhelmed. They are a great listen and help get my mind off of other things.
This one is about Reichl’s time as the NYT food critic. She had been happily in LA and was asked to apply for this job. When she got to NYC, a lot of restaurants knew about her - her history and appearance, and she decided to become different characters as she visited restaurants. She went to most restaurants 3 or 4 times, and ordered and acted as she became these different characters (even using credit cards issued in their names). This memoir describes her visit to many famous and not-so-famous restaurants in NYC, what character she was when she visited, what she ate (in detail), what her experience was like and how she felt they would treat the average consumer, and her final review. She also includes some recipes. The audio includes a brief interview at the end.
I thought it was interesting how she was not a fan of some of the most famous NYC restaurants- like Tavern on the Green (not great service) but she really loved The Rainbow Room. Fun scoop on different peopke she ate with and events she attended as well. In the next book, she talks about how she keeps detailed descriptions when she visits restaurants and you can tell she referred to those notes in this book, also.
It’s just fun to see life through her eyes and taste buds for a few hours.
I loved how the title of the book came from a part of the memoir when her husband is talking to her about a dinner they attended as part of a charity auction and she was more critic than she was herself:
“Last night this line from T. S. Eliot kept running through my head. It's from the Four Quartets. 'Garlic and sapphires in the mud ..! I remembered that when you got into this it was almost a spiritual thing with you. You love to eat, you love to write, you love the generosity of cooks and what happens around the table when a great meal is served. …”
“Don’t give yourself away.”
This one is about Reichl’s time as the NYT food critic. She had been happily in LA and was asked to apply for this job. When she got to NYC, a lot of restaurants knew about her - her history and appearance, and she decided to become different characters as she visited restaurants. She went to most restaurants 3 or 4 times, and ordered and acted as she became these different characters (even using credit cards issued in their names). This memoir describes her visit to many famous and not-so-famous restaurants in NYC, what character she was when she visited, what she ate (in detail), what her experience was like and how she felt they would treat the average consumer, and her final review. She also includes some recipes. The audio includes a brief interview at the end.
I thought it was interesting how she was not a fan of some of the most famous NYC restaurants- like Tavern on the Green (not great service) but she really loved The Rainbow Room. Fun scoop on different peopke she ate with and events she attended as well. In the next book, she talks about how she keeps detailed descriptions when she visits restaurants and you can tell she referred to those notes in this book, also.
It’s just fun to see life through her eyes and taste buds for a few hours.
I loved how the title of the book came from a part of the memoir when her husband is talking to her about a dinner they attended as part of a charity auction and she was more critic than she was herself:
“Last night this line from T. S. Eliot kept running through my head. It's from the Four Quartets. 'Garlic and sapphires in the mud ..! I remembered that when you got into this it was almost a spiritual thing with you. You love to eat, you love to write, you love the generosity of cooks and what happens around the table when a great meal is served. …”
“Don’t give yourself away.”