Although most people seem to think that being a restaurant critic is an easy job that just about anyone can do (just read a "how-to" book and you're half-way there!), there actually are a few job requirements. Being interested in and knowledgeable about food isn't enough.
First, you have to be able to write well, otherwise no one will even read your first article query. Some people go to school to learn to write well; others just practice. One thing that a writing program does for writers is that it teaches them to be good critics and editors for themselves, which is very important.
Second, you have to have reporting skills. Some people acquire these in journalism school; others just start reporting and writing stories. Most people don't realize that anything you report, from the background of a chef to the date a restaurant opened to the ingredients of a dish, must be accurately reported, with backup. Most non-professionals don't think about the fact that if a chef says "I worked at Alain Ducasse," you can't report that until you have some confirmation of that fact. (And even professionals often overlook the finer points, such as the chef's position at Ducasse. Did he do a one-week stage there or was he sous-chef?) It is the domain of the reporter to do this kind of digging. If you become a critic for a magazine with a reasonable budget, fact-checkers will come after you and attempt to verify every single fact in your piece. Newspaper writers are responsible for their own facts, since there isn't time for fact-checkers to follow up.
Third, you must have a passion for and knowledge about food. This site is populated by people who fit this bill. But I believe that to be a good critic, you also have to know how to cook. The reason for this is that you need to be able to work backwards, and figure out how a dish must have been constructed. And beyond loving food, you also need to be discerning, and possess a good palate. You should also know something about the food of other cultures, as well as food history. All these areas of knowledge must be brought to the table when you eat as a professional, and then brought to bear when you sit down to write. You need to be passionate because only if you're very, very lucky and beat some incredible odds will you be able to make a living at this.
Fourth, you need to figure out how to navigate the world of editors and deadlines and other bothersome practicalities of journalism. How do you get that first job? By having clips to show an editor and a great idea, well-pitched, to get you in the door. How do you get clips? By writing, gratis perhaps, for a small publication until you amass a body of work that can get you in the door somewhere. And it may not be about food because everybody and their brother wants to write about food these days, so the competition's a little stiff. Oh, did I mention discipline? Deadlines are mean taskmasters.
And finally, you need to know how to write a review, which is an art in itself. Food writing can be some of the most boring writing around, since descriptions of dishes all start to sound the same very quickly. Lot of people can write food descriptions that will interest, say chowhounds. But to write restaurant reviews for general interest publications, you have to be able to interest the general public, and that means a review has to have a shape and some color and perhaps even some drama. And most importantly, perhaps, and hardest to learn, your writing has to have a voice that will distinguish your writing from that of grillions of others who want one of the very few positions! I'd suggest reading Jonathan Gold's book Counter Intelligence for an example of a critic with a singular voice that makes reading his reviews a delight.
That said, if you have the passion, the knowledge, the patience, and the desire, best of luck to you, and I hope you make it!
--http://www.chowhound.com/boards/general1/messages/25871.html
Comments
This is a great answer! Extremely thorough. Well-written, too.
by Jodie44 on July 5th, 2005
Thanks for sharing this. I wonder if food critics travel alot and get over weight from all the food they taste.
by snowflake1556 on October 6th, 2005
I enjoy and agree with your knowledge on this subject,however noticed that you did not mention service or resturant decor as part of the position. Is it not?
by Rina720 on March 9th, 2008