Don’t Worry, and Be Nice
This past Monday, the Times published an article by Frank Bruni which details the close of El Bulli in Spain (arguably, the best restaurant in the world, and thus the most difficult to get a reservation at - I think they send you a letter when your reservation is confirmed, which indicates how far in advance one must plan to dine there) and explores the pressures and challenges of attempting to dine at “hot” restaurants. Some people stress about Fashion Week, others, the coolest unmarked basement lounge, and others - restaurants. As a “food blogger,” I guess I’m no exception. When I do manage to find time, or money, or a date ;) to go to a new restaurant, I’m excited about it. The thrill of getting a prime time reservation at an impossible-to-get-into restaurant, to eat an award-winning chef’s cuisine, and be surrounded by others who are equally as thrilled (although sometimes bordering into smug territory), is real, and can be fun. It’s the kind of thing that makes New York City feel like New York City.
Bruni himself pleads guilty to being a bit braggadocious in his past, when he was chief food critic for the New York Times dining section. To me, there’s nothing wrong with a little pride - the man worked hard to gain that sort of access. So do most fashion editors, art critics, etc. to attend their brag-worthy events.
His point, from what I can gather, is that there’s a microcosm of people that are immediately stressed now by the news of El Bulli’s closing. “I HAVE to eat there before it closes,” “We HAVE to be part of Adria’s final hurrah,” and so on. If you do manage to score a reservation, he says, enjoy yourself, and be modest in your download back to your friends and peers. If you don’t manage to get one, don’t sweat it! Overall it’s a significant, but tiny shift in Bruni’s perspective. Now that he’s no longer the Times food critic, there’s a sense of relief in his writing. There’s also a sense of reality. Chill out people - it’s just food! An interesting read for any fan of his.
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