I've heard people don't trust publicists. Weird thing, I know. But people don't even seem to trust the people, either, given that they still invest a ton of time reading, absorbing, and responding to professional food critics (for which I'm eternally grateful, believe me) instead of trusting the opinions of all those bloggers out there [...]

Okay, the millionaire multi-media toque doesn't personally need help your help, but Courtney Balestier, associate editor at Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine, does. She called me to find out what D.C. bars (she'll accept restaurant bars but really wants bar bars) still serve free snacks along with their beer, wine, and distilled spirits. I have [...]

Ever since Tom Sietsema docked Citronelle a star in this year's Washington Post dining guide, I had been dying to know how Michel Richard responded to the demotion. I mean, Sietsema took no pity on the city's most famous restaurant, a perennial four-star performer no more. The critic wrote:

Frank Bruni, lead restaurant critic for the New York Times, laid himself bare in a Q&A session last week with readers. Over the course of five days, he answered some of the toughest questions that can be put to a professional eater, including those dealing with qualifications, how one selects restaurants to review, and of [...]