Our Restaurant Critics Dish

What It Covers

New York Times restaurant critics Tejal Rao and Legaya Machan explain their approach to reviewing restaurants nationwide, abandoning anonymity, managing health while eating professionally, and balancing honest criticism with supporting small businesses.

Key Questions Answered

• •Anonymity shift: Critics now reveal identities to build reader trust and transparency, making reservations under fake names but accepting occasional recognition. This allows video content and deeper audience connection while maintaining fair evaluation standards through strategic dining approaches.
• •Geographic expansion strategy: Covering restaurants nationwide rather than only New York captures complete American dining culture. Critics alternate weekly travel schedules, cramming multiple meals per travel day while maintaining gentler local schedules to sustain energy and appetite for fair assessments.
• •Negative review criteria: Critics only publish negative reviews when restaurants are newsworthy, established, or generating significant hype. They avoid reviewing unknown small businesses negatively to prevent punching down, focusing criticism on powerful institutions that fail to deliver promised experiences.
• •Health management tactics: Critics take small bites of each dish rather than finishing plates, run regularly, do daily pushups, and eat simple salads on off days. They avoid double dinners when possible, spacing meals by walking between locations to maintain appetite.