jay-rayner

Touring New York's Restaurants With Mr. Zagat Himself

Sheila · 07/24/08 11:36AM

In his just-released book, The Man Who Ate the World, restaurant critic Jay Rayner explores the oft-overblown luxury dining of the world. In a scene from New York, the man behind the Zagat Survey—Mr. Tim Zagat himself—takes him on a whirlwind tour. It's fun to watch brash American Zagat embarrass Rayner, a Brit with a sense of propriety. Who do they run into at Meatpacking District monstrosity Buddakan other than America's favorite "One Tough Cop," private investigator Bo Dietl—who tells them that he came for the food, but stayed for the "pussy":

Touchy Restaurateurs Not Scared of Bloggers

Sheila · 02/11/08 11:43AM

While we're on the subject of emotional restaurateurs, who've already got their hands full dealing with Times food critic Frank Bruni, let it be known that they don't give a damn what the foodbloggers say. You might already be familiar with celebchef Mario Batali's "Why I Hate Food Bloggers" manifesto on Eater last summer. Now he adds, in Jay Rayner's forthcoming book The Man Who Ate the World, that said bloggers can "suck [his] dick."