Ah, if only all of us could have a To Do list like Sam Sifton. Wouldn't that be the life? To eat, to drink, and to get paid.
Far more manageable to read and absorb than the excerpts we read from Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink, Sifton's work as the New York Times chief food critic made me realize how physically and mentally exhausting the life of an acclaimed foodie can truly be (eating out 6 - 7 days a week is just the start!). However, my pity for him does not stretch far, as his life seems borderline idyllic.
About to embark on my own trip to New York City over spring break, I have to say I really enjoyed reading all of Sifton's critiques, reviews, and raves of good eats in the Big Apple. Sifton's use of description and imagery such as in his review of restaurant Ai Fiori practically transported me to the simple farmhouse tables to enjoy the salad of blue crab and grapefruit, avocado, tarragon and crisp flatbread, and lobster velouté with shaved chestnut and black truffles, or the plate of wine-glazed ravioli stuffed with ricotta and mascarpone, with truffle-infused boschetto cheese; and braised veal agnolotti with a brush of butternut squash and sugo with the critic himself.
Apart from his wonderful, mouth-watering descriptions, I was glad to see the balance of pros and cons in so many of Sifton's pieces. The fact that he could come right out and say that the red shrimp from Bar Basque was bland and uninteresting or that the New York strip steak lacked crust, made him, in my eyes, a more credible narrator, and an ordinary guy in search of a good meal just like the rest of us.
I also really enjoyed reading the piece titled My Life in Food, where Sifton gave readers a play by play of every single calorie he consumed and burned over a one week period. Although in numerous other articles Sifton claims that even though he eats for a living, that with the proper amount of exercise and the occasional day off, he's in the best shape of his life. After looking at everything that Sifton actually consumes and comparing that to his 3-4 times a week workout routine, I found myself asking "Really, Sam Sifton? Are you really in the best shape of your life? It just seems highly unlikely that a guy who eats and drinks his way through one New York restaurant after another has no major health problems, or won't in the future. What about cholesterol? What about high blood pressure? What's the average life expectancy of a food critic anyway??
The last element that I found particularly entertaining in regards to Mr. Sifton's articles was his witty remarks about going in disguise. From wearing fake mustaches to having his very own children address him by a different name, I thought it was amusing and endearing how Sifton approached the task of anonymity. Although I know the task of a reviewer is to appear like the average customer, I can't help thinking that there would be some fun in letting a restaurant know a reviewer is in the house. Would I get points off on next week's review assignment if I did that?
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