Ruth Reichl, The Salon Interview salon.com
[ I don't know much about truffles except the pig thing, but on the general food topic, this article stuck in my mind. My friend google turned it up as the first hit on "reichl". I remember the original Le Cirque review referred to here: ]
One of the most remarkable reviews you've written, I think, was of Le Cirque, the well-known French restaurant. It was a kind of dual review, about how you were treated once they recognized you versus how you were treated when they didn't.
Since I wrote that review, I've gotten letters from people saying, "Couldn't you do this for every restaurant in New York?" The reason I did it for Le Cirque is that I'd been coming to New York for years and been treated like dirt there. In the food community, people would say, "Do you want to go to Le Cirque?" And then they would add, "I'm not known there." This happens in a lot of restaurants, but this one was almost proud about it. "We treat the rich better." It was so ridiculous. They just opened themselves up to it.
On one of my visits there, I had dinner with [longtime Times editor and current London Bureau Chief] Warren Hoge, who had hired me, and he said, "I'll make the reservation. They don't know me." So he made the reservation in his own name, and they seated us at this apparently not-good table. Halfway through the meal, Sirio [Maccioni, Le Cirque's owner] came rushing over. He didn't recognize Warren, but somebody had said to him, "That's Warren Hoge." And he wanted to move us. He said, "So-and-so just said, 'How could you seat Warren Hoge behind the glass?'" It was shameless. It was like, "We've given you a bad seat; we've made a terrible mistake; please let us move you."
Did you move?
We said, "Don't be ridiculous. We're not giving up the table during our dinner." And I thought, well, this is great. Clearly, I'm going to do this. I'm going to go a few times, where he doesn't know me, and I'm going to write about this.
[ Also referred to in that interview is the famous "Watch out for Ruth " memo : ]
WATCH OUT FOR RUTH , Harper's Magazine, Jan 96, Vol. 292, Issue 1748
he memos excerpted below were distributed last year by Thomas W. Monetti, then the managing director of New York City's Tavern on the Green, to the restaurant's staff.
March 20, 1995
Attached you will find a photocopy of a picture of Ruth Reichl, the restaurant critic for the New York Times. Please be advised that some of the aliases she makes reservations under are listed on the photograph. They are Hollis, Shore, and Johnson. I am sure there are others.
We understand that Ruth has very curly hair, shoulder length, that it usually looks rather un-combed, and that she pushes the hair in front of her face so people won't recognize her. Please watch for Ruth or anyone who fits this description, and make sure that everyone is informed if a person who looks like this is dining at Tavern on the Green. She will probably be writing about us.
It should also be noted that she only travels in parties of two or three. She does work weekends, so she can appear on a Saturday or a Sunday, brunch or dinner. Her advance person is a gentleman about thirty-eight years old, who usually comes in and checks the front desk and lobby area first and then waits for Ruth, either in. the cocktail lounge or at the table.
Ruth uses a tape recorder to record her thoughts during dinner. If you see a woman in the dining room who fits the description speaking into a small tape recorder, most likely it will be Ruth. Occasionally she goes into the ladies' room to do her taping, but she also does taping at the table as well.
The photograph has already been circulated to the entire dining staff--captains, waiters, busboys, front desk, etc.
Anyone who needs additional copies, feel free to ask.
June 27, 1995
The attached picture and memo regarding Ruth Reichl were sent out in March.
Mike Desiderio [front desk manager]: Every night, every lunch, and every dinner you should check the reservations list to see if any one of the names Hollis, Shore, or Johnson appear. Let me know if they do.
Steve Fine [manager]: Make at least a hundred copies of these two memos and the photograph and keep passing them out to the service staff.
Also, aside from the description of Ruth Reichl in the previous memo, note that I have found out from restaurants she has already reviewed that she sometimes wears her hair in a ponytail, but it is still curly. She is short and always dresses in black.
Another thing that may help you recognize her: I have been told that she is always smiling. She smiles a lot.
Please watch out for Ruth. |
