Just for the record, I do not dress in drag, wear wigs, or try role-playing characters when I review restaurants. Although a couple of local chefs have claimed to me that they have my picture posted in the kitchen — some even offering bounties — I have no idea where they got the pic, or even if it's actually me. Google search as much as you'd like; you won't find any graven digital images of this critic.
But Ruth Reichl — former NY Times restaurant critic and current Gourmet editor — was famous for engaging in all sorts of costuming and characterization during her reviewing stint in the 1990s. And it worked admirably, causing her to experience the tiered treatment doled out by some of NY's finest restaurants based on their perception of her worth as a customer, as detailed in her book Garlic and Sapphires.
In a stagey, but undeniably cute, video put out by Gourmet, Reichl revisited those years and characters. Video after the break:
This article appears in Apr 22-28, 2009.
