"Tom Fitzmorris=Dining Methuselah"--Article on Tom and Vietnamese Cooking

[LiveOak]

Of course they bristle! We all know that bahn mi translates to PO-boy!

Or Pho-boy!

[actualchef]

tom does not want to ever accept or try anything outside of his comfort zone and if he ever does he snubs it as not being some familiar dish from his childhood. that mentality doesn't sit well with a person who is supposed to be a critic of an ever evolving industry and for new orleans chefs and restaurants to continue to be respected on a national level its definitely not going to be done following that relics plan. here is the biggest difference between him and brett, when brett anderson comes to my restaurant he never, ever announces his presence, in fact goes to lengths to conceal it, to at least get a realistic view of the dining experience (thats what real food writers do) tom comes in and demands to be fawned over as he complains about portion sizes (which by the way, he might want to tone them down himself) and he wants free **** and validated parking, you kiss his ass and he will applaud you, you dont and he will shred you. it is mostly unfortunate that there are people who still value his ancient and ridiculous, often under-educated opinions on food in new orleans today

[Jeeves]

Or Pho-boy!

Way "more better", L.O.

[ratcheese]

tom does not want to ever accept or try anything outside of his comfort zone and if he ever does he snubs it as not being some familiar dish from his childhood. that mentality doesn't sit well with a person who is supposed to be a critic of an ever evolving industry and for new orleans chefs and restaurants to continue to be respected on a national level its definitely not going to be done following that relics plan. here is the biggest difference between him and brett, when brett anderson comes to my restaurant he never, ever announces his presence, in fact goes to lengths to conceal it, to at least get a realistic view of the dining experience (thats what real food writers do) tom comes in and demands to be fawned over as he complains about portion sizes (which by the way, he might want to tone them down himself) and he wants free **** and validated parking, you kiss his ass and he will applaud you, you dont and he will shred you. it is mostly unfortunate that there are people who still value his ancient and ridiculous, often under-educated opinions on food in new orleans today

I am sympathetic to your vulnerability to food critics and I have no doubt "the dean" is a pita. I was seated beside him at Bacco a few years ago and although he played it low keyed, I still recall the general impression I garnered while watching him and his DC plough through their victuals--he seemed more hungry than anything.

I'm not sure you should be too concerned about his influence on the dining public. As a big mouth Texan myself, I appreciate the entertainment value of his outrageous opinions and commentary and after hearing him fluff Brennan restaurants so often, I tune-out his professional opinions and listen for the comedy. Let's not forget he has something like 300 restaurants rated on his site, if I remember correctly. Please.

Brett Anderson, on the other hand, has never entertained me--his writing has never connected with me. So, although he may be more professional in his manner, his failure to connect leaves his influence and importance to be debated. I always had the impression that writing about food was something Brett did solely as a means to make a living. The terms passionless, journalistic, and factual, come to mind when I think of Brett's writing. Oh well, writers have to eat; it's a tough business.

[paz5559]

... passionless, journalistic, and factual, come to mind when I think of Brett's writing.

ie. exactly what I'm looking for. Brett provides information and opinion - perhaps you should turn to tella novellas or saints games if I need the subject mater to ooze passion

[ratcheese]

ie. exactly what I'm looking for. Brett provides information and opinion - perhaps you should turn to tella novellas or saints games if I need the subject mater to ooze passion

I understand your sentiment and I'm sure others share that view. I'm also sure Brett Anderson is a nice person. I fear I may have over-stepped my bounds in comparing him to the dean. It was intended as an illustration of the alternatives, not as a personal attack.

For many of us, food is about enjoyment. Food and dining out embody all sorts of emotional and social alchemy that hopefully conjures up some happiness for all involved. In the privileged world of non-essential grazing and restaurant exploration, food is entertainment. At least food is entertainment in my world; if I'm not having fun with it, if it gets too serious, it ceases to be enjoyable.

If you haven't already, take some time to read what's going on with food writers and critics in places such as NYC or San Francisco. Good writers are entertaining. (Yes, this even applies to hapless journalists who have found themselves inexplicably toiling under the direction of a food editor.)

Good food writers are entertaining even when the subject restaurant may not have been; they are fun to read.

btw, what the hell is a tella novella? Sounds Latin...ooohh, I know what those are. Go Saints!

[Suzy Wong]

ratcheese, You're not the only one. I don't find B.A.'s writing/reviews witty, clever or interesting. New Orleans cuisine has a distinct history to it and a quirky one at that. There is a big difference experiencing something briefly so to speak as an adult and spending a lifetime interacting with it on a daily basis. There is a way of providing information to the reader as well as engaging them, entertaining and peaking interest. (example) As writers Gene Bourg and Marcelle Bienvenu achieve those rules of engagement. IMO Brett Anderson does not. New Orleans is a different market unto itself in many ways. As a ps Way before the internet craze Tom Fitzmorris published a magazine/paper for many years that was informative and interesting for the reader.

[ratcheese]

ratcheese, You're not the only one. I don't find B.A.'s writing/reviews witty, clever or interesting. New Orleans cuisine has a distinct history to it and a quirky one at that. There is a big difference experiencing something briefly so to speak as an adult and spending a lifetime interacting with it on a daily basis. There is a way of providing information to the reader as well as engaging them, entertaining and peaking interest. (example) As writers Gene Bourg and Marcelle Bienvenu achieve those rules of engagement. IMO Brett Anderson does not. New Orleans is a different market unto itself in many ways. As a ps Way before the internet craze Tom Fitzmorris published a magazine/paper for many years that was informative and interesting for the reader.

Agreed. I realize we are in an awfully small media market for a "world class food city" and the belt-tightening at the TP is surely taking its toll, but come on, we can do better than this.

We are living in a period of media fragmentation, re-shaping, and hopefully re-organization, in that internet blogs and forums such as this one, are replacing what was formally a more centralized point of dissemination.

I don't know much about blogs or I don't know enough to be able to find the ones that might interest me, but I think the establishment of a portal, a local New Orleans blog directory, similar to what Huffington or Drudge do with news (bwahh) is probably the next logical step. I've read some good stuff on local food blogs and I wouldn't be surprised if that's not where the future lies--its just a matter of making them all accessible to the GP. (that be me).

There are some good food writers out there, we just need to be able to find them.

[ratcheese]

On the subject of our local media, I picked up a free copy of Edible New Orleans at a book store, yesterday. I read it through this morning and it made me sorry I dismissed their earlier editions as being just another advertise-for-article publication. LA 31 beer had an article written about them and took an add, but at least the writing is excellent. Hopefully, we won't see that theme repeating itself too often.

Can it be true that the best source of information on the New Orleans food scene is a nationally franchised publication? Yes, I believe it is true. The magazine has a great look and feel. The articles are very well written with broad creative scope and a consistency indicative of good editorial direction. They stay clear of issuing reviews or opinions.

I love how they focus on small, grass roots operations, and individually owned restaurants, which comprise the single most under-reported segment of our food scene today.

And last but not least, it was informative. I finally know the full story behind the Delicious Kitchen! I knew a little bit but not the whole story.

If you want to see how entertaining food writing can be, grab a copy. After reading this single issue, I'd say someone is doing good work out there. Now, let's see if they can pull-in enough revenue to establish full independence.

[Blackened Out]

We are burying the lede here. Tom wrote that with few exceptions, Vietnamese restaurants were just serving variations on pho. This is not true. He then invited comment and criticism of his stance. Furthermore on the fantastic bouillie website he chimed in that pho (a traditional breakfast soup) and bun (a dry noodle dish with vegetables) are the exact same thing, save one has broth.

At best, his opinion represents a complete lack of knowledge concerning a growing ethnic community in New Orleans. At worst, it shows a wanton disregard to get out and explore the roots, differences, and techniques of a cuisine of the world. One, which we are lucky enough, to have in our backyard.

Again, it is his opinion, and he is certainly entitled to it, but the facts which he basis his opinion on are wrong.