This past Sunday, I did my usual trek through the New Jersey Section of the NY Times (January 25th) in search of the weekly restaurant review. What I found instead was an article by Susan Alai: New Restaurants Adapt to Economy. The article noted how a number of fledging restaurants were changing their strategies in order to cope with the economic downturn.
Actually, the article was quite informative and had a good deal to recommend it – unlike the usual culinary puff pieces that generally inhabit the pages of the Times’ NJ Section… But where was the restaurant review?
This kind of substitution has been happening a good deal of late. In lieu of a restaurant review, readers are treated to some other type of article – ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous – that may or may not deal with areas of endeavor germane to dining. If you’ll pardon the pun, I find this form of sadistic substitution difficult to swallow. If the Times, in its infinite wisdom, wishes to run such an article, that’s fine by me… But what prevents the-powers-that-be from including a restaurant review as well.
Since the Times currently employs two reviewers, David Corcoran and Karla Cook, to cover the NJ restaurant scene, it seems to me that the very least we have a right to expect is a weekly review. Certainly not too much to ask.
There is absolutely no question that Garden State diners deserve infinitely more than the Times is apparently willing to deliver… In point of fact, they deserve infinitely more than David and Karla are able to deliver… But that’s another story.
Bon Appétit!
TAD
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