Restaurant critics appear to have the best job in journalism, a few nights a week on someone else含羞草研究社檚 dime.
But restaurant critic Pete Wells had painted a more complicated picture. In a recent column, Wells announced he含羞草研究社檚 leaving the beat because the constant eating has led to and other health problems.
含羞草研究社淚ntellectually, it was still really stimulating, but my body started to rebel and say, 含羞草研究社楨nough is enough,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Wells told The Associated Press. 含羞草研究社淚 just had to come face to face with the reality that I can含羞草研究社檛 metabolize food the way I used to, I can含羞草研究社檛 metabolize alcohol the way I used to and I just don含羞草研究社檛 need to eat as much as I did even 10 years ago.含羞草研究社�
To write a review, usually make two or three visits to a restaurant and bring a handful of dining companions so they can taste as many dishes as possible. If has a special focus on wine or cocktails or desserts, they try those, too.
含羞草研究社淵ou have to sample the full range of the menu,含羞草研究社� said Ligaya Figueras, the senior food editor and lead dining critic for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 含羞草研究社淚f I really felt like a salad today, I can含羞草研究社檛 just have the salad.含羞草研究社�
Special features, like lists of the best places to get pizzas or hamburgers, may have critics eating the same fare for weeks. MacKenzie Chung Fegan, a restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, sampled all over the city for a story about a restaurant that specialized in the dish.
含羞草研究社淭here was a two-week period where I was eating more duck than anyone含羞草研究社檚 doctor would advise,含羞草研究社� Fegan said.
All that restaurant eating can take a toll. In a 2020 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University found that 50% of meals at full-service U.S. restaurants 含羞草研究社� and 70% of those at 含羞草研究社� were of poor nutritional quality, according to American Heart Association guidelines. Less than 1% were of ideal quality.
Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and Tufts professor who was one of the study含羞草研究社檚 authors, said restaurant meals tend to be lower than ideal in whole grains and legumes, modestly lower in fruits and vegetables, and modestly and saturated fat.
For the period the study examined, between 2003 and 2016, the nutritional quality of food in grocery stores improved, Mozaffarian said. But restaurants didn含羞草研究社檛 make similar changes, he said.
含羞草研究社淚 can含羞草研究社檛 tell you how many restaurants I go to and on every person含羞草研究社檚 plate there are French fries,含羞草研究社� Mozaffarian said. 含羞草研究社淭here are not an equal and diverse array of healthy and unhealthy menu choices.含羞草研究社�
To be fair, Fegan said, diners are looking for something delicious when they go out to eat, 含羞草研究社渁nd a lot of times that means something with fat and sodium.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚f I含羞草研究社檓 looking at the menu thinking, 含羞草研究社榃hat is the most exciting thing on this menu?,含羞草研究社� it含羞草研究社檚 probably not a side of broccoli rabe,含羞草研究社� she said.
Figueras deals with the challenge in several ways. On the nights she含羞草研究社檚 not dining out, she says she is 含羞草研究社渉ypervigilant含羞草研究社� and eats mostly vegetables. She plays tennis and walks her dog to stay in shape. And when she含羞草研究社檚 heading to a restaurant, she eats fruit or another healthy snack so she won含羞草研究社檛 arrive hungry.
含羞草研究社淓verything tastes good when you含羞草研究社檙e starving,含羞草研究社� she said.
Lyndsay Green, the dining and restaurants critic at the Detroit Free Press, also tries to eat healthy on her days off, getting most of her food from a . Green says she thinks menus are getting healthier. Many chefs are offering gluten-free or vegan options, she said, and are getting more creative with their .
Green thinks restaurant critics can help readers by being open about their own needs. A pregnant critic, for example, could write up a restaurant guide for other expectant parents.
含羞草研究社淣early everyone has health concerns and dietary standards, so I think it can also be our job to talk about that in our work,含羞草研究社� she said.
Wells isn含羞草研究社檛 the only restaurant critic to make a change in recent years. Adam Platt stopped covering restaurants for New York magazine in 2022, also citing the toll on his health. Wyatt Williams stopped covering restaurants for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2019, saying he had simply lost his appetite.
Fegan and Wells both noted that to have more longevity in the business. Mimi Sheraton, a former restaurant critic for The New York Times, died last year at age 97 after a six-decade career in food.
含羞草研究社淚 think if you are socialized as a woman in America, you含羞草研究社檝e already spent a lot of your time thinking about portion and weight and control,含羞草研究社� Fegan said.
Wells will file a few more reviews before stepping down in early August. He will remain with the Times. Times food writers Melissa Clark and Priya Krishna will step in as restaurant critics on an interim basis, the newspaper said.
Wells said he will continue to go to restaurants and maybe even enjoy them more now that he含羞草研究社檚 not distracted by work. He said he will be sorry to lose touch with New York含羞草研究社檚 seemingly infinite restaurant scene, but glad to find more balance in his own life.
含羞草研究社淓ating out constantly, you lose touch with your own normal appetite,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 didn含羞草研究社檛 know anymore what was normal for me.含羞草研究社�
