How can I become a food critic?
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 A
Come to my house. Everyone here is a critic of some kind… No, really; the best way to become a professional critic is to be willing to be critical among your friends in your own environment. “Criticism” does not have to be negative and hateful; many critics give positive ratings. Cricitism simply means to be able to perceive or determine what is good and right, and what is not. Okay, my first answer may have been short, and perceived as worthless, but putting lack of a sense of humor aside, if you are not willing to go out there and share your views with others, you won’t make a very reliable professional critic. You will need the respect of others, and they need to be able to trust your instincts. Many people go to school to learn what they could learn in the real world, only to find out that experience is the best teacher. So yeah, come to my house, or anyone else’s house, and start exercising your ability to criticize. Then if you see that others respect your views, you will have
There are a lot of good answers here. All I’d like to add is that restaurant criticism is a very intense job. It isn’t as fun and easy as you’d expect. You have to be a full-time journalist who eats for homework. That means eating when you’re sick, when it’s blizzarding out, when you’re not hungry, when others are on vacation, when your child is born. If you’re in the mood for sushi, too bad, you have to eat pasta. If you want to eat the chicken dish on a menu, too bad, you have to order the duck with trout drippings because it’s worth writing about. Critics burn out fast. You start to lose your love of food and dining out and you do gain weight. I’m married to a Beard-winning critic and it’s been the most stressful time of our lives. Right now, he’d do anything to just sit at home and eat potato chips.
