Right on, Sacbee!
A real, critical restaurant review. Well written, informative. For a sec I thought this was written by a woman (Blair being an androgynous name), but how foolish that I would think that the Bee would hire a
woman to write about food. Everyone knows that women just know about birthin' babies. Besides that little snipe I'm stoked. Check the comments. That is some harsh chop busting! I find it very intriguing that BR answered back to the criticism, and in a spirited way. I agree that it's too early to write about the Grange but I enjoyed the review.
If you happen to be feeling helpless about the situation in Gaza and would like to do something, however small, a guy from
this organization was on Democracy Now and was talking about how they're getting a wave of donations. Yesterday's Democracy Now had a pretty riveting debate between a UN worker and a pro-Israel NGO person. The gloves came off.
Yeah what a debate! THe UN worker was right on point and the "NGO" spokeswoman, sorry to use quotes but that was real funny when she said her group, called the Israel Project , was not affiliated with the Israeli Govt., was hitting all the right talking points. I liked the 15 second thing, settlers can only take 15 second showers, have 15 seconds to decide which child to take with them to the shelter. I feel bad for anybody under fire but they have a dram life compared to Gazans. At least they have a shower and a shelter. Such a strange irony that Israel is becoming what it's people sought to escape.
ReplyDeleteI thought when he queried her about how this could conceivably help with a lasting peace that she was demolished. There is no way you could pretend that would help with that. His British accent also helped him triumph over her valley girl speak.
ReplyDeleteTotally Dude! Being on the right side of an argument is good, but arguing the right cause in a British accent is better! She did the old right wing thing of truckin on even though her arguments were weak and indeed demolished. Just keep talking and the talking points will come true. Oh, mah gawd, like gag me with a spoon.
ReplyDeleteGood restaurant review, except for how he perpetuates that old long-ago-debunked saw about searing meat to seal in the juices (or as he puts it,drawing them to the center)
ReplyDeleteJD
Good point. When will people read some McGee and drop that old chestnut? People are so attached to all those food techniques that sound like they would work. I'm sure I have plenty that I believe in. Like spitting in the soup to add flavor.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the old Heckasac kitchen classic peeing in the marmalade.
ReplyDelete-miller
Have we solved the diarrhea conundrum from earlier?
ReplyDeleteBlair Anthony Robinson is probably my favorite SacBee writer right now -- he's been writing fantastic profiles and features for a couple years. I saw when Mike Dunne retired that Robinson was taking over and I was pleased. Oh yes, pleased.
ReplyDeleteMy verification word is brathoar. I'm insulted.
Diarrhea mystery! It was Professor Plum in the study with the wrench.
ReplyDeleteIt was Professor Plum in the study wretching!! Ha ha,
ReplyDeleteI'm just curious as to why you think the Bee purposefully didn't hire a female food critic - they have a female movie critic and a female music critic - it hardly seems like there's sexism going on ...
ReplyDeleteBeckler, thank you for the kind words. That's nice of you. I have enjoyed your blog for some time. I had wanted to have a blogger as a guest critic (eat with me, write a sidebar review), but was told you were not ready to go public.
ReplyDeleteAs for comments: Yes, I'm not one of those roll-over-and-take-it (perhaps that phrasing is awkward) kind of guys, especially when people are rude and dumb. Rude and smart, I can handle. I'm very nice to nice people.
I'm also a fan of Harold McGee (Shirley O. Corriher, too). I don't think I said searing locks in the juices; more like chases them toward the center of the cut of meat. The chef and I talked (on the phone) about that in quite a bit of detail. But I'm always interested in getting it right, so I'll grab that book off the shelf tonight and go over it. I've seared a few filet mignons in my time (then put them in the oven to finish), but I never thought I was locking in the juices. Nevertheless, it's nice that there are readers out there who are that particular. As a writer, and as the new restaurant critic, that's inspiring.
Wow, thanks! I'm only fuzzy on what McGee said. I didn't particularly notice that bit, the commenter did. I've never heard of Shirley O. Corriher. I'll keep my eye out.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous commenter, I didn't say the Bee purposefully did that. It just occurred to me that their food coverage has been handled in the last few years by four men and 0 women. That could mean nothing or something about the people who have been doing the hiring. Perhaps I am wrong, and I have forgotten about someone.
Just for a little clarity: the managing editor, the executive editor, the publisher, as well as the features editor and city editor are all women. As far as that issue goes, I'm not sure there are too many papers, if any, in the entire country with that line-up.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, so the women are the ones being sexist! I smell a lawsuit.
ReplyDeleteThe Bee's food coverage has not been "handled in the last few years by four men and 0 women." Though not a critic, Gwen Schoen was a prominent part of the Bee's "Taste" section, and Terri Watson is still in the mix. Gwen's tradition of "how to" videos is being kept alive by the very-female Gina Kim.
ReplyDeleteAnd there's no difference between women being food/wine critics & women basically teaching Home Ec.
ReplyDeleteSpin it how you want, but it's simply incorrect to say the Bee's "food coverage has been handled in the last few years by four men and 0 women."
ReplyDelete$20 to anyone who read that.
ReplyDelete-miller
Did you note how I said "perhaps I am wrong"? It turns out indeed I was wrong. I am sorry I made the snipe. Maybe you have noticed that men traditionally dominate quite a few fields, sometimes even rising to the top of those very fields that are considered "women's work" (such as cooking), and that sometimes women are sensitive to that? I don't go around calling "sexism" all the time, right? So could you let me off the hook this time? That thing about the lawsuit was a joke.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could claim that 20. I did get the part where they went to the pipe bombs show without calling you?!?!?
ReplyDeleteYeah, unfortunately I read that part too.
ReplyDelete-miller
speaking of old recordings, you can listen to or download a whole ton of edison cylinder recordings here:
ReplyDeleteEdison Cylinder Project
I hipped Old Man Olsen to this a while back, but it may have been too old-timey even for him.
I didn't read it either. Hence the tl;dr ending
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of the SN&R's new restaurant reviewer? I find him incredibly annoying, what with the constant name-dropping.
ReplyDelete