Who Reviews Restaurants, Anyway?

Check out "What They Brought to the Table," a cheeky article in the NYT that details a food critic's observations on everything non-food related. He tells of lessons he has learned about human nature through dining with people/eating food with friends as part of his occupational duties. I could not help but giggle upon reading the following account; I don't believe I'm one of these "hoarders" which he mentions, especially in the company of others, but who knows:

When they liked the dish in front of them, they’d forget that they were supposed to eat no more than a quarter of it, to preserve enough for the other three diners, including me, to have a good taste.

“Oh, I lost track!” they’d say as they passed a nearly empty plate.


I enjoy learning the strange details involved in jobs, both to appease my curiosity and to satisfy my need for "consumer control." People are too frequently unaware of the work/procedure that is behind the services and products that they consume.