She began with a frumpy blonde wig, put on an oversized Armani suit and became Molly, a lady who lunches. She tried big glasses and colorful clothes and became Brenda, the eccentric redhead. She even went so far as to morph into Miriam, her own chronically unsatisfied mother.
As the restaurant critic for The New York Times, Ruth Reichl enlisted the help of six different characters to guard her anonymity. As a result she was able to give reviews that reflected an ordinary person’s experience of a meal — not the red carpet treatment given a food critic.
In “Garlic and Sapphires,” Reichl’s new memoir, she brings us into the fiercely competitive world of New York restaurants and tells us why in the end, she decided to give up her wigs so she could celebrate food rather than criticize it.
Guests:
Ruth Reichl, author of “Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise.”