NYC Eats

       The articles (mostly by Sam Sifton and New York City dining) were actually fun to read, and definitely kept my full attention the entire time -- unlike some of the earlier 1930s articles we read previously! I loved the diversity of the food that he describes in Indianapolis -- it kind of reminded me of my hometown in Madison. Mark Bittman's article on McDonald's oatmeal was also very revealing....I really appreciated that he provided the reader links and other options for oatmeal (real oatmeal) instead of simply degrading that of McDonald's. I couldn't believe that oatmeal could have more sugar than a Snickers bar....disturbing. It's ironic that real, legitimate oatmeal is actually faster than fast food oatmeal!
       The descriptions of Ai Fiori that Sam Sifton includes in one of his restaurant reviews were wonderful. He not only describes the food in detail, but also the entire atmosphere, and shows how the ambiance of a place may or may not enhance the whole experience. It's clear that when reviewing a restaurant, it's not simply about the food. For example, in his review of "Bar Basque", he makes it clear that the food is outstanding -- but the club-ish atmosphere actually brought the whole review down one star. His review "No Reservations" goes onto the scene of an upper scale oyster bar, and though it's quite short this piece evoked many strong responses from people in the response column under the narrative. Sifton asked whether or not people found it acceptable for a restaurant to refuse the option of reservations to customers; personally, although the oyster bar does come off a bit arrogant, they're giving people the advantage of being able to come in last minute without planning ahead. Obviously it's a bit inconvenient for those with families or very tight schedules -- but if the food's completely worth it, I could see myself waiting a lot more than the standard fifteen minutes for a table.

       I was so glad that Sifton let us in on what exactly a food critics job entails! I found his "Salad Day" narrative so interesting, and although I was insanely jealous of what he's paid to do, I actually don't know if I'd be capable of doing it. Typically going out for a nice meal will hold me for most of the day...and he does this sometimes three times a day. The calorie counts in "My Life In Food" shocked me -- he's able to burn 900 calories in the gym, and still his calorie intake is twice that of the standard 2,000 a day. I know that the idea of a food critic sounds absolutely glorious, but I don't know if my body could handle all of it!