Page 112 - Cityview_May_June_2014

An Interview with William grimes, former restaurant critic at The New York Times

CV: How did serving as a food critic for CV: What do you think about food shows mon in the united States, is that the

the Times change your perspective on such as Iron Chef or even Restaurant: ideal meal is a steak and a baked potato.
food and dining out?
Impossible?
on the other hand, I think a place

like Knoxville is well placed to offer
WG: After nearly five years of dining WG: I like a lot of cooking shows, but well-thought-out versions of some good

out nearly every night, and sometimes I gravitate toward the ones that have
old vernacular styles. When I travel, I
during the lunch hour, too, I experi- a serious undercurrent, where some am always looking for a good traditional

enced battle fatigue. To make a compari- interesting cooking is going on. My caf́ or diner, a place where the bread
son, everyone likes to go to a party. It’s favorites are Top Chef and Master Chef is baked on the premises and you can

fun. But imagine getting up on Sunday UK (on BBC America, with Michel find good meat loaf, good pies, and the
morning knowing you will have to relive Roux). In general, when the kitchen sorts of dishes that used to be sold as

the Saturday night thrills, and then do shows start feeling like pro wrestling or blue-plate specials. A good doughnut
the same on Monday, Tuesday, Wednes- Jerry Springer, I lose patience.
shop is worth its weight in gold. And in

day, Thursday, and friday. It does wear Tennessee, I expect an excited response
you down, eventually, which is why I CV: What, in your opinion, could a city if I ask, Where can I find a good barbe-

stepped down as of January 1, 2004. I like Knoxville do to improve the diversity cue restaurant, or a restaurant that does
missed making my own food in my own of our dining scene? What has New York a good job with traditional Southern

kitchen, or ordering a pizza and sitting City done right?
food? These days, I am attracted to
on my couch watching TV. The first chefs who leave the rat race in bigger

thing I did when I stopped being a critic WG: Do not give too much credit to cities and go back to smaller ones and
was buy a big flat-screen TV.
New York. It happens to be an enor- source local ingredients and work with

mous city with a lot of immigrants. And local farmers, then come up with a
CV: What do you think of on-line this has been true for nearly 200 years. new take on old favorites. I am not sure

reviews, posted by customers, such as If you have those conditions, you are what nouvelle Tennessee would be as a
on Yelp or Urbanspoon? So many on-line probably going to get good restaurants, cuisine, but I’ll bet there are some sharp

reviews seem so negative and personal. and inhabitants who have an appetite minds who could meet the challenge.
Are you a fan?
for all sorts of national cuisines. Smaller

sized cities need to wage a war against CV: Do you or your wife cook?
WG: The online reviews are the big complacency: The mind-set, very com-

change in restaurant culture. They were WG: Yes. We used to plan our week-
not really happening when I was the ends around making an ambitious
William “Biff” Grimes
critic. Now they are everywhere. I have french or Italian meal. Nancy is a better
to say, if I am about to try a new restau- cook. No argument there. But I have a

rant, I will sometimes scan the online few skills. We have a pretty big kitchen,
reviews to get an impression. often you and we use it.

can tell when the commenter knows
nothing, or has had an atypical experi- CV: Is there such a place as a “perfect”

ence, or is just spoiling for a fight. The restaurant? In William Grimes’s world,
Yelps of the world do us critics a service, what would such a restaurant serve?

in a way. They make a good argument
for why the world needs food critics WG: I will return you to the sacred

who actually know the subject, are fair- precincts of Tournesol. My typical
minded, and can be trusted. The food meal there starts with a glass of

websites are the noise of the crowd. I champagne, then a slice of duck terrine
applaud them for being democratic, but with crusty bread, then seared skate in

I always remind myself that many of
brown butter sauce (maybe an Alsatian
the movies I like failed at the box office, Riesling with this, or a loire white),

which means that the general public then a slice of apple tart. Can this be
turned thumbs down.
improved upon? I think not.

110 cityviewmag.com may june 2014