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| Pete Wells, Restaurant Critic, Answers Readers’ Questions | Pete Wells, Restaurant Critic, Answers Readers’ Questions |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Pete Wells, the chief restaurant critic of The New York Times, will answer selected readers’ questions Monday and Tuesday. | Pete Wells, the chief restaurant critic of The New York Times, will answer selected readers’ questions Monday and Tuesday. |
| Mr. Wells was named the restaurant critic in November 2011. He was previously the editor of The Times’s Dining section since 2006. Before he joined The Times, Mr. Wells wrote a column for Food & Wine and was an editor at Details magazine. He has received five James Beard Foundation Awards for writing about eating and drinking. | Mr. Wells was named the restaurant critic in November 2011. He was previously the editor of The Times’s Dining section since 2006. Before he joined The Times, Mr. Wells wrote a column for Food & Wine and was an editor at Details magazine. He has received five James Beard Foundation Awards for writing about eating and drinking. |
| You can ask questions | You can ask questions |
| Mr. Wells is answering questions Tuesday afternoon. | |
| Some of Mr. Wells’s recent reviews include Dirt Candy, a vegetarian restaurant in the East Village , and Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square. | Some of Mr. Wells’s recent reviews include Dirt Candy, a vegetarian restaurant in the East Village , and Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square. |
| Q. Do you rely upon Yelp reviews or other similar "social sources" to help inform your reviews? | |
| — Kevin McNeil, Brooklyn, NY | |
| A. I look at Yelp and some other sites with user-generated reviews all the time, particularly when I’m curious about a place that hasn’t received much attention yet from professional critics. I wouldn’t say they inform my reviews, but they might be one factor that helps guide me when I’m deciding whether to check out a place I haven’t heard very much about. I don’t put much stock in the individual reviews but I do scan the bulk of them to look for common areas of delight or disapproval. I do wish there were a way to filter out all the Yelp reviews that are based solely on brunch, but that might not leave very much content. | |
| Q. Like the late great Christopher Hitchens, I prefer waiters not to serve the wine at the table. I can manage the pour quite well, thank you. Even if it is a chilled white, just put the bucket at arms reach. When I tell waiters this, they either ignore my request or think I am rude. What say you? | |
| — chris, manhattan | |
| A. I’m a Hitchens fan, too, and if that’s your preference, and you state it clearly and politely, I can’t think of any reason a restaurant should turn you down, although many places keep the chilled whites at a station rather than posting buckets all across the dining room. In that case, you could keep the wine on the table. Most whites don’t need to be kept on ice. In very good restaurants, though, where the staff is numerous and well trained, your glass should be refilled without your noticing or even thinking about it. When you’re in a place like that, a great part of the pleasure is letting the staff do their jobs. Very good servers are true professionals who take pride in their work, and allowing them to do their work makes for a better experience all around. Sometimes I see people who refuse to let anybody help them on with their coats. They’ll grab the coat and writhe around on their own until they’ve threaded both arms through the sleeves. It takes four times longer and isn’t pretty to watch. When somebody’s trying to help you, why fight them? | |
| Q. Has your taste evolved over time? Do you think you would enjoy the same restaurants you liked at the beginning of your career? | |
| — Sharla Grass, Boca Raton, FL | |
| A. My taste keeps evolving. You can’t help it if you eat out as often as I do. You’re exposed to new ideas and new flavors, to cuisines from new regions, to new techniques and new styles of putting together a dish. I try to keep myself vulnerable so I can be won over by the unfamiliar. By the same token, the overly familiar can begin to pall. When I lived in the East Village and was always in debt, I ate pierogies at least once a week. I still like pierogies but I’m not sure a steady diet of them would still hold my interest. Also, I’m lucky enough to have a newspaper that believes in the value of wide-ranging restaurant criticism, and is willing to pay for it, so for the moment I’m not making all my dining decisions based on cost. It won’t last forever, though. | |
| Q. It's very hard to describe food. Are there adjectives that you are guilty of using and re-using? And conversely, are there words you refuse to use, just cause they're either you're pet peeves, or they're over-used? And extrapolating, what are trends in food reviewing of late that you absolutely hate? | |
| — Beth, Santa Monica, CA | |
| A. I’m sure if I ran a word-frequency program over all my reviews to date I’d be mortified by how many dishes were rich, or fragrant, or aromatic, or delicate, or gentle, or crisp, or crunchy. But you’re right to sense that some repetition is unavoidable. I try to stick to short and unobtrusive adjectives whenever I can. I could probably describe a serving size as “large” once a week without anyone noticing, but I doubt I could get away with “brobdingnagian” more than once in a lifetime. If that. I try to stay away from industry jargon, like "price point" instead of prices or "cocktail program" instead of cocktails. There are a few adjectives that just make my skin crawl, like sinful. The Times would probably frown on orgasmic, with good reason. | |
| Q. Manhattan and now Brooklyn monopolize the restaurant columns. Are there no review-worthy eateries elsewhere? When's the last time anyone can recall a dining establishment in the Bronx being assessed? Yes, Manhattan is the overwhelming favorite for discerning dining, with Brooklyn closing fast, but those who choose to dine north of the Harlem River must certainly have more options than are covered thus far, as is the case with Queens and Staten Island too. Thoughts? Thank you! | |
| — Dennis Appleton, Madison, WI (and often NYC) | |
| A. There are review-worthy restaurants all over the city, without question. I’m going to get to more of them as I continue to settle into the job. The Bronx has been a big blind spot for me, admittedly, as has Staten Island, although I’m keeping lists for both boroughs and I hope to do better next year. I reviewed two restaurants in Queens this year and will certainly find others that deserve a review in the coming months. I may even leave the city limits from time to time. | |
| Q. Do you think we in America have taken the food culture too far where we care and think too much about eating and making really great and unique food? I have read some critiques making this point and was wondering your thoughts. | Q. Do you think we in America have taken the food culture too far where we care and think too much about eating and making really great and unique food? I have read some critiques making this point and was wondering your thoughts. |
| — Dan, Washington, D.C. | — Dan, Washington, D.C. |
| A. I’ve read a few of those criticisms, too, and I have found them as puzzling as their authors seem to find food culture. They tend to start well, because they’re mocking the excesses of people who take food too seriously. It’s easy to mock people who take anything too seriously. That’s why mockery was invented. But when the mockery ends, the pieces I’ve read eventually grow indignant at the very idea that people care about something as insignificant as pleasure. Pleasure is only insignificant if you’re not having any, and I have started to suspect that the people who write these critiques are just upset because everybody else is having too much fun. And then I start to feel sorry for them, and want to send them a dozen cookies from Beurre & Sel in the Essex Street Market. But then I decide that cookies would be wasted on people who don’t know how to have a good time. | A. I’ve read a few of those criticisms, too, and I have found them as puzzling as their authors seem to find food culture. They tend to start well, because they’re mocking the excesses of people who take food too seriously. It’s easy to mock people who take anything too seriously. That’s why mockery was invented. But when the mockery ends, the pieces I’ve read eventually grow indignant at the very idea that people care about something as insignificant as pleasure. Pleasure is only insignificant if you’re not having any, and I have started to suspect that the people who write these critiques are just upset because everybody else is having too much fun. And then I start to feel sorry for them, and want to send them a dozen cookies from Beurre & Sel in the Essex Street Market. But then I decide that cookies would be wasted on people who don’t know how to have a good time. |
| Q. What are the economics of a restaurant review? Sometimes a reviewer goes back to an expensive restaurant multiple times. If The Times is paying the freight, the resulting review requires well over a $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs. How is that outlay justified, or how does The Times view that outlay? | Q. What are the economics of a restaurant review? Sometimes a reviewer goes back to an expensive restaurant multiple times. If The Times is paying the freight, the resulting review requires well over a $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs. How is that outlay justified, or how does The Times view that outlay? |
| — Jack Siegel, Chicago | — Jack Siegel, Chicago |
| A. Reviewing restaurants is very expensive if you do it the way The Times has been doing it since the 1960s. I can justify the multiple visits easily. It often takes three meals before I’ve tasted enough of the menu to know where the strengths and weaknesses are. It may take more than three. I’m also looking for consistency, of course. And my opinions tend to settle into place after three meals. Initial enthusiasm can turn out to be uncalled for. Or it may take me a while to start to pick up on what makes a place stand out. I think that’s the right way to do it if you want the reviews to carry any authority. You could ask whether we should be reviewing restaurants at all, I guess, but I imagine some readers would speak up if we stopped. | A. Reviewing restaurants is very expensive if you do it the way The Times has been doing it since the 1960s. I can justify the multiple visits easily. It often takes three meals before I’ve tasted enough of the menu to know where the strengths and weaknesses are. It may take more than three. I’m also looking for consistency, of course. And my opinions tend to settle into place after three meals. Initial enthusiasm can turn out to be uncalled for. Or it may take me a while to start to pick up on what makes a place stand out. I think that’s the right way to do it if you want the reviews to carry any authority. You could ask whether we should be reviewing restaurants at all, I guess, but I imagine some readers would speak up if we stopped. |
| Q. How do you determine the criteria you will evaluate a restaurant by? Do you have it already set in your mind, or do you let the dining experience shape it? | Q. How do you determine the criteria you will evaluate a restaurant by? Do you have it already set in your mind, or do you let the dining experience shape it? |
| — kevin hohn, minneapolis | — kevin hohn, minneapolis |
| A. Most of the time, I walk into a restaurant with the idea that I’ll be writing about the food. Once in a while, though, the food turns out to be the least interesting aspect of a place that has other things to recommend it. So I may end up spending more time talking about the service, or the atmosphere. But while the focus of the review may change, my criteria don’t, especially when it comes to food. I am always looking for careful cooking, attention to details, fair value and, of course, deliciousness. | A. Most of the time, I walk into a restaurant with the idea that I’ll be writing about the food. Once in a while, though, the food turns out to be the least interesting aspect of a place that has other things to recommend it. So I may end up spending more time talking about the service, or the atmosphere. But while the focus of the review may change, my criteria don’t, especially when it comes to food. I am always looking for careful cooking, attention to details, fair value and, of course, deliciousness. |
| Q. How many times do you visit a restaurant before you write your critique? | Q. How many times do you visit a restaurant before you write your critique? |
| — Kenny Chowdhary, Dublin, CA | — Kenny Chowdhary, Dublin, CA |
| A. For a full-length review that is subject to the star system (whether the restaurant ends up getting any stars or not), Times critics always visit the restaurant at least three times. At least. For shorter, more casual reviews, or blog posts, we may go just once or twice. | A. For a full-length review that is subject to the star system (whether the restaurant ends up getting any stars or not), Times critics always visit the restaurant at least three times. At least. For shorter, more casual reviews, or blog posts, we may go just once or twice. |
| Q. How did you become a food writer? Do you have a culinary background? | Q. How did you become a food writer? Do you have a culinary background? |
| — Desiree, New York City | — Desiree, New York City |
| A. My culinary background is very strong: apart from an early flirtation with a liquid diet, I have been eating solid food for almost all of my time on this earth. I’m satisfied with this as a qualification for writing about food, although I’m not quite sure why my editors over the years have agreed with me about this. When I first began writing, food was only one of a bunch of subjects that interested me. I wrote about country music and interviewed a lot of people in the theater, but if you had asked me my ambition at the time, I would have told you I wanted to be a crime writer. Unfortunately, I am afraid of police and criminals, so this was not to be. For some reason, editors kept asking me to write about restaurants. I never said no to work except once, when Adam Rapoport, who’s now the editor of Bon Appétit, asked me to eat brunch at all the restaurants around town that had the longest lines to see if the wait was worth it. I doubted that I would learn very much by taking the assignment, since I hate waiting in lines and don’t like restaurant brunches very much, either. Other than that, though, I wrote about as many subjects as I could, and I’d recommend that for all writers-in-training, even the ones who think they want to specialize in food. | A. My culinary background is very strong: apart from an early flirtation with a liquid diet, I have been eating solid food for almost all of my time on this earth. I’m satisfied with this as a qualification for writing about food, although I’m not quite sure why my editors over the years have agreed with me about this. When I first began writing, food was only one of a bunch of subjects that interested me. I wrote about country music and interviewed a lot of people in the theater, but if you had asked me my ambition at the time, I would have told you I wanted to be a crime writer. Unfortunately, I am afraid of police and criminals, so this was not to be. For some reason, editors kept asking me to write about restaurants. I never said no to work except once, when Adam Rapoport, who’s now the editor of Bon Appétit, asked me to eat brunch at all the restaurants around town that had the longest lines to see if the wait was worth it. I doubted that I would learn very much by taking the assignment, since I hate waiting in lines and don’t like restaurant brunches very much, either. Other than that, though, I wrote about as many subjects as I could, and I’d recommend that for all writers-in-training, even the ones who think they want to specialize in food. |
| Q. Do you actually wear a disguise when you go into a restaurant for review? | Q. Do you actually wear a disguise when you go into a restaurant for review? |
| — Scott, New York | — Scott, New York |
| A. As they say in debates, I'm glad you asked that question. There's probably no part of my job that has captured the popular imagination more than disguises. For some reason, people seem to want me to spend a lot of time in wig shops. But the sad truth is, I can't rock a wig like Dolly Parton. I've looked into it, and quickly discovered that hairpieces that are even remotely convincing cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Sure, I could amble down to the Fulton Mall and pick up a cheap rug, but they tend to look as if they were pulled off the back of a diseased raccoon. Anybody can spot one of those from across the street. The whole point of a disguise is to make you inconspicuous. | A. As they say in debates, I'm glad you asked that question. There's probably no part of my job that has captured the popular imagination more than disguises. For some reason, people seem to want me to spend a lot of time in wig shops. But the sad truth is, I can't rock a wig like Dolly Parton. I've looked into it, and quickly discovered that hairpieces that are even remotely convincing cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Sure, I could amble down to the Fulton Mall and pick up a cheap rug, but they tend to look as if they were pulled off the back of a diseased raccoon. Anybody can spot one of those from across the street. The whole point of a disguise is to make you inconspicuous. |
| I do fool around with my appearance in less dramatic ways sometimes. I won't get into any specifics of tradecraft, but I will say that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. No matter what I do to my face, it's still my face, unfortunately. And I've seen my picture hanging on kitchen walls (don't ask me how I got into the kitchens), so restaurants know who to look for. If they're looking for me, they'll almost always spot me -- not necessarily on the first visit, but often enough by the time I've been in for three meals. | I do fool around with my appearance in less dramatic ways sometimes. I won't get into any specifics of tradecraft, but I will say that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. No matter what I do to my face, it's still my face, unfortunately. And I've seen my picture hanging on kitchen walls (don't ask me how I got into the kitchens), so restaurants know who to look for. If they're looking for me, they'll almost always spot me -- not necessarily on the first visit, but often enough by the time I've been in for three meals. |
| I wish I could eat all my meals in anonymity. But many of the restaurants I review put more time and energy into spotting me than I could ever put into going unspotted. | I wish I could eat all my meals in anonymity. But many of the restaurants I review put more time and energy into spotting me than I could ever put into going unspotted. |
| Q. Are there any dishes, ingredients or flavors you just don't like? How does that affect your job as a critic? | Q. Are there any dishes, ingredients or flavors you just don't like? How does that affect your job as a critic? |
| — Adrienne Smith, Brooklyn, NY | — Adrienne Smith, Brooklyn, NY |
| A. I'm not wild about green bell peppers, especially when they're raw. They contain a chemical that is very potent and hard to ignore. I'm not sure they're meant to be eaten, because once they've ripened they're much more appealing. I like green poblanos and jalapenos, which have some of the same aromatic compound, but they also have a little heat to compensate for it. I am also skeptical of pasta salad, but I've eaten a few that overcame my doubts. | A. I'm not wild about green bell peppers, especially when they're raw. They contain a chemical that is very potent and hard to ignore. I'm not sure they're meant to be eaten, because once they've ripened they're much more appealing. I like green poblanos and jalapenos, which have some of the same aromatic compound, but they also have a little heat to compensate for it. I am also skeptical of pasta salad, but I've eaten a few that overcame my doubts. |