Book Review: "Garlic and Sapphires" by Ruth Reichl
“Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise” by Ruth Reichl
Publisher Synopsis: Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and former editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world—a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities. In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichl reveals the comic absurdity, artifice, and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world and gives us—along with some of her favorite recipes and reviews—her remarkable reflections on how one’s outer appearance can influence one’s inner character, expectations, and appetites, not to mention the quality of service one receives.
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Review: I am (unintentionally) working my way through Ruth Reichl’s memoirs in reverse. I began with “Save Me the Plums”, which explores her time at the helm of Gourmet magazine. Although I’m not what you’d call a hard core foodie, I do appreciate good food writing. (I finally read Anthony Bourdain’s memoirs after his untimely passing last year and was completely blown away.) Ruth Reichl’s writing is, imo, some of the best. (Not exactly a hot take, I know.)
“Garlic and Sapphires” takes a look back at her time as the New York Times restaurant critic. Coming from the LA Times, and despite being a native New Yorker, Ruth had no idea how intense the Gray Lady would be. The book begins with Ruth on a plane to New York from LA, several months before she’s set to begin at the NYT. Her seatmate recognizes her and starts grilling her (pun intended) on which restaurant she’s planning to review first, informing her that every restaurant has her photo posted and they are all on the lookout for her.
From there, Ruth realizes she’s going to need to adapt some disguises. Teaming up with a friend of her late mother’s, she creates new personas to fool some of the best restaurants in the world, and get a glimpse of how “regular people” are treated when dining out. Each persona is interwoven with recipes, some of Ruths’s reviews from the NYT, and absolutely delectable descriptions of the food she (mostly) enjoys (and the service she often doesn’t).
I loved this book. It may have helped that I read it during my last few days in Italy, while I was exploring Milan by myself. I like to have a book to keep me occupied while I’m apertif-ing or dining alone, and this one was a fab accompaniment. As previously mentioned, Ruth’s writing is incredible, and by the end, we’ve come to realize how each of her new personas is really an amplified part of her. Who does she want to be? What parts of herself does she want to change? Taking on different personas came to affect her, sometimes in a negative way, and the book ends with (this isn’t a spoiler), a call from Conde Nast asking her to take over Gourmet. I only wish I’d begun reading her memoirs in chronological order!
TL;DR: A delicious memoir from one of the country’s top food writers. Even if you aren’t an adventurous eater or foodie, you’ll love the descriptions of Ruth’s personas/disguises, and the introspection they bring about. Definitely worth adding to your list if you haven’t already read it!
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