Reading Assignment for Sixth Week Tuesday

Read this from this week's New York Times by Mark Bittman, who arguably holds the contemporary title for high priest of food writing.

Also from this week, check out Pete Wells's review of Cagen in the East Village and Ristorante Morini on the Upper East Side. His scathing review of Guy Fieri's then new Times Square restaurant made all kinds of headlines in 2012. Let's talk about that, too.

Even though his stint was short as the food critic for the New York Times, we're going to take a look at some of Sam Sifton's work:

Because the Fat Lady has to Eat
Osteria Morini
Il Matto
Kenmare, which gets zero stars
Sifton on how to eat for a living and stay healthy doing it
Sifton's My Life in Food
Round One Q&A
Round Two
Round Three
Round Four
and just for fun, To Catch a Critic

And a little from the West Coast, Los Angeles, to be exact:

Jonathan Gold takes on a food court
Jonathan Gold swoons for this joint
A different kind of review from the L.A. Times

How about from a European food critic?

Advice to a 10-year-old aspiring food critic

And just for kicks, let's let Twitter (and HuffPo) show us who's important in the world of restaurant criticism

Meander through the pieces, play around, and discover what piques your interest. Make sure to read for craft--pick apart what each critic is up to in his/her reviews and how they go about achieving their effects for better or for worse. Learn from them. We'll discuss what makes a review a review and what separates a bad review from a mediocre review from a fantastic review.

Above all, enjoy!