Religion, snails, and utter nonsense.

In relation to foodstuffs, Judaism makes Christianity seem boring--the Jewish culture is full of delicious food specific to its religion, like matzo balls and of course the wonderful latkes, but Christians have nothing. Sometimes I think of converting to Judaism, which would be nearly impossible, but you might have the same fleeting thought after reading this article containing a recipe for crispy dessert wraps, whose ingredients led me to believe it's like some sort of cheesecake wonton. Sounds good!

Damn my love for Christmas decorations. Otherwise I would be at today's Slow Food Green Market Gift Fair, where used restaurant equipment, china, linens, and cookbooks are being sold. But I promised my grandpa I'd help string up the lights on his house. Nothing trumps my love for food, but Christmas only comes once...and I already have a lot of nice white china and would have nowhere to put more! For those interested and lucky enough to go, the sale is at the Church of the Crossroads near Varsity Theater from 11:30 am to 4 pm. Well...have fun...*sniff*

Maybe it's just me, but does it seem like some restaurant critics here don't take themselves seriously? John Heckathorn always does a great job, maybe because he's alloted an entire month to do his reviews. Only occasionally does the Advertiser drive me nuts, like this week with their takeout salad ratings, but Nadine Kam rarely fails to disappoint. How many "vacations" does she take in a year? In the space restrictions for her reviews, I would think she might get right to the point about the food, giving herself time to elaborate. But the first half is a personal dissertation or reflection. And I don't want to hear that she's too full for dessert, because if Kam were revisiting a restaurant several times to be fair, dessert would not always be merely an afterthought. Why do I love Frank Bruni (NY Times) and Michael Bauer (SF Chronicle) and Meredith Brody (SF Weekly) so much, and even Kawehi Haug (Hon. Weekly)? Because they're reviewing. They are not reporting. They are giving the reader a sense of involvement, using eloquent sensory writing to make it seem as though you were having a conversation with them during the meal. THIS, my friends, is reviewing. Jonathan Gold of LA Weekly should know--he recently won a bloody Pulitzer Prize for his writing.

Comments

[Kawehi Haug]

Thanks so much for the kind words. Funny story: My father was Googling me and came across your blog and made sure I knew that someone "who sounds like they know what they're talking about" mentioned me. It's always astonishing to discover that people do indeed read what I write. And sometimes they like it.
I too enjoy your blog and refer to it often when trying to navigate this city's culinary landscape. Keep up the good work.
I work for the Honolulu Advertiser now as an entertainment reporter and have my fingers crossed that I'll be able to review a restaurant now and again.
Happy New Year.

Kawehi