REVIEW: Garlic and Sapphires

I give Garlic and Sapphires, by Ruth Reichl, former food critic for both the LA Times and the New York Times and now the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, 2 solid thumbs up. The author writes of her tenure at the New York Times when she was forced to dine about town in costume under false names in an attempt to receive unbiased service from chefs and their staff.

When I first picked up the book, I was a little leery. I mean, how interesting can it be to read a review for restaurants in New York City, when I don’t live in New York City? Well, Reichl proves to be a great story teller, as well as critic. The story follows Reichl as she moves from LA to New York with her husband and young son and creates her alter egos (including Miriam, a mirror image of her mother who sends every entrée back until it’s perfect). During the course of 4-5 years, she falls in love with New York again, loses a good friend to cancer and agonizes over glorifying the “$100 meal,” before making the realization that her alter egos were affecting her relationship with her husband, her child and, ultimately, to food.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy food or restaurants or New York or all three. Also, an added bonus is that Reichl has published her own favorite go-to recipes. I am going to try her roasted chicken immediately.