“Let me know if you ever need anyone to come along with you when you’re writing about a restaurant!”
It is a line I have heard countless times from friends, acquaintances, and total strangers. As the weekly food columnist for the Calgary Herald and a freelance writer for additional publications, I eat out several times a week, usually at good restaurants. Many mention I have their dream job — and I will not lie, it is my dream job, too — but life as a food writer is less glamorous than most may imagine.
Yes, I am often wined and dined. But just as often, I am sitting alone in a restaurant off-hours, eating things I would be unlikely to order as a civilian. Do not get me wrong — I love thinking about how food informs and reflects larger cultural conversations. Moreover, I feel honoured to share the stories of the people behind the restaurants in our ever-evolving city.
The Weird and Wonderful World of Food Writing
But sometimes the job can be weird. I have visited bull auctions, cranberry bogs, and food science laboratories. I have consumed cheese processed by maggots, $100 cups of coffee, and prairie oysters. I have had some chefs yell at me, and others tell me their deepest, darkest secrets. But I have also talked to recent immigrants sharing the most delicious foods from their homelands, plenty of folks finding a new lease on life in starting a business, and chefs creating magic through their own limitless creativity.
No, I Am Not a Chef
Occasionally, someone will ask me what qualifies me to write about food, and my answer is this: I am not a professional cook, but I have worked full-time as a writer and editor since graduating from university many moons ago. Initially, my writing was focused on music and entertainment, but once my husband and I started our family, the idea of staying out all night to review concerts became a no-go. I gradually shifted my beat towards food, figuring that the move from rock stars to chefs was not too much of a stretch. In 2018, when the great John Gilchrist retired, the Herald offered me the opportunity to take over his column.
I may not be able to reproduce the food I eat in restaurants, but my job is not to represent the kitchens. It is to represent the eaters. As a journalist, I am trained to ask questions, learn about different cuisines, and always be curious. The more restaurants I write about in Calgary and around the world, the more I learn, building expertise that goes beyond that of your typical Yelp reviewer or social media influencer.
Contrary to Popular Belief, I Am Not a Food Critic
Professional food criticism, where a writer arrives unannounced at a restaurant (preferably anonymously) and gives a critical assessment of the atmosphere, service, and nitty-gritty details of each dish, is a rapidly vanishing art. I miss reading those kinds of reviews in Canadian newspapers. But it is not what I do.
Instead, my column consists of profiles of restaurants and food producers. What is the difference? Instead of focusing on my own experience at a restaurant, I interview the owners or chefs and let them share their stories. I also sample and describe the food, but only through a lightly critical lens. My approach is to consider whether each restaurant offers some kind of value for readers. If the answer is no, I tend to “review by omission” and simply not cover it. I do think a keen reader can read between the lines and figure out if I really like a place, though.
