New Orleans Eats Forums at NOLAEats.com

The Underground Gourmet, Richard Collin, passed away a few days ago. His death raises the question of why there are no real food critics in New Orleans. We have reviewers and food writers, not food critics.

Most (if not all) reviewers are well known and easily recognized, thus given special treatment and attention. Other reviewers seem to be cheerleaders for the mini-empires some people are creating and the reviews are little more than ads for places open for a few weeks. Where are the secret reviewers writing about the small neighborhood places that locals eat at on a regular basis? The white table cloth, 4 hour, $300 dinner is great for special occasions but what about the $60 a couple joint you go to on a Tuesday night when you don't feel like cooking. Yes, Besh, Emeril, the Brennans, Link are all wonderful but who writes about that little place around the corner run by the guy in the kitchen?

That's what boards like this are for.

Turbo, you're right, but only because there is a void that needs filling. A decent critic should tell the good AND the bad. Most here are cheerleaders. TF, of course, is a self-promoter, and as such recognizes it would be bad for business to speak ill of a potential advertiser (either now or in the future)

It is a shame about Richard Collin. His cookbook is by far the quintessential cookbook for creole/cajun cuisine

Gene Bourg did a very good job IMO as a restaurant critic.

R.I.P. Richard Collin.

I wish you never moved away after the storm. If you still lived here, your life would be accorded the credit it deserved.

Today, I ordered a used copy of his book off alibris.com for about $25. Somebody on Amazon has one in new condition, but they want $135 for it.

There is an error in Collin's cookbook recipe for seafood bisque. It was one of the first real, fancy things I was going to attempt to cook. It came out the consistency of almost dry concrete. The amount of liquid in the recipe is far less than needed for soup. Once I remedied the problem, it was one of the best soups I've ever made or eaten.

Low-N-Slow wrote:Today, I ordered a used copy of his book off alibris.com for about $25. Somebody on Amazon has one in new condition, but they want $135 for it.

I am confused - I bought a new paperback edition for my sister for $11 ($14.99 with shipping)

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchR ... 1&x=67&y=9

The book I purchased was "The Revised New Orleans Underground Gourmet ".