TIL that after a small town food reviewer in her 80’s was ridiculed online for her review of an Olive Garden, Anthony Bourdain stepped in and published a book of her food review column & wrote the forward to it.

Not all writing is meant to change your life, sometimes it just helps you live it.

No one expects a food review to “change their life”- but a food review that doesn’t mention the food doesn’t help me live my life either.

For example- how is it helpful for her to tell me about the parent company that owns Olive Garden or how many restaurants they have? Do you really think that helps the reader of the article in any way- or could that space have been better used to talk about the food?

She mentions a salad but literally does not describe it at all. Was the salad fresh? Was it a good balance of lettuce, tomato, and whatever? Were there lots of dressing options? No information at all.

The review was adorable- but it was not very helpful- even for seniors. And I certainly wouldn’t mock her for writing the review- but we need to stop pretending a review that long that only uses two words to describe the food is a good review.

/r/todayilearned Thread Parent Link - time.com