Danyelle Freeman, aka the "Restaurant Girl", left her post as the Daily News' restaurant critic two years ago and since then has been writing Try This, her first book. It's half memoir, half food lovers' how-to manual of eating around the world, "Without Leaving the Table," per the cover. We caught up with her recently at Ma Peche (her choice, after Penn Top proved too crowded).
So, Danyelle. What have you been up to since you left the News? I've spent a lot of time researching and writing my book. A lot of time in front of my computer in my pajamas. And a lot of time running around the boroughs looking for really amazing ethnic food. I was lucky enough to go out to LA this winter and be a judge on Top Chef Masters. It was an amazing opportunity. I gained six pounds. I've started outlining a new book. I've really sort of fallen in love with writing a book. It's a very peaceful, private process and I feel like you really learn a lot. For me, the difference between writing a book and reviewing restaurants was that I could be writing about food on a macro level. It's not such a microcosm, New York thing anymore. Suddenly there's a whole world of food that I'm getting excited about, and sharing with people, versus encouraging people to go to a restaurant. It's a really hard thing. There were so many restaurants that opened and closed. Or chefs left. I really admire people like Ruth [Reichl] or Frank [Bruni] who can write about an Italian restaurant over and over again and never get bored with it—and find something interesting to say. But I really wanted some new stimulation. Something bigger than restaurants.
Well, since you bought it up, do you miss being a critic? Not really, no. There was a certain energy, a certain high you got off of a new restaurant every night and the thrill of a restaurant just opening. And you're really there to determine—or at least communicate your opinion of—whether it's worth going to or not. You're really there to see if a chef executed on their vision. Like, taste their food. This is their dream, right? It's an exciting thing that a chef is sharing with you. His heart and soul on a plate. None of us realize how much work goes into all that. You know, we talk over our dinner. Right? They braised that pig there for 48 hours. So there was something very exciting about that. And I really did always go in with an open mind and hope for the best for a restaurant. But, I don't miss reviewing. No. There was a certain excitement about going out to dinner every night and getting to discover new chefs and new dishes and new restaurants. There was also a certain amount of letdown and sadness, because you understand how much time and money and heart has gone into these places. And when they're not successful and they don't work out it's a shame. But ultimately your responsibility as the critic is to communicate that—that's it's not worth your time and that it's not worth your money and that it's not working. And, that's really not what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. I really do hope for the best for chefs and I wasn't willing to tell people to go to a restaurant if it wasn't good. It's sad a lot of the time, too. Even the good restaurants—a lot of good ones didn't succeed.
How would you review yourself as a reviewer? You know, I enjoyed myself. I thought I was a very different reviewer. I tried to be real and to be entertaining and fun. It isn't rocket science; it was food. I felt like I shared my experience. If you look back at reviews of different writers at the time I was reviewing, most of us had the same ultimate opinion, just a different story to tell along the way. I felt as a reviewer I was accessible to all food lovers. So, yeah. At the end of the day, the whole reason I did this is because restaurants are all I could think about and all I could talk about.
Food is what makes me tick. We share it, we share the excitement of a place we just found. It's not just me. A guy in the gym, a guy on the subway, someone's aunt. Your bus driver is telling you about some amazing ice cream he just had. It's what brings us together. Some people get excited about baseball or skydiving. This is my form of entertainment, my passion. And I really respect these chefs. I respect their hard work; the vision. It doesn't always pay off, but I respect it. You know, the reason I was called Restaurant Girl was that I would give my unsolicited opinion at the gym. People were talking about restaurants and I would tell them what to order, I would follow up with an email. I sort of became a Dear Abby. Finally, this guy who I became friends with started calling me Restaurant Girl. Hey, Restaurant Girl, where should I eat tonight?
Are you happy with the way you were perceived as a reviewer? All reviewers get a lot of criticism. I think that just comes with the job. I try not to think about that stuff. I was new in a lot of ways. I was the first blogger to become a critic. I was the first person to put a face with reviewing and not apologize about it. I think it's important to have someone to relate to. So, sure, I'm going to have a lot of push-back. But that doesn't mean I'm willing to forsake that and just go with the flow. We live in a different food world now. There's barely any anonymous food critics anymore and no one cares. No one apologized at the Times when Sam Sifton's picture got out, because it's irrelevant now. I stand by what I said when I first became a critic. Other than service, you're not going to get that big of a different experience in a restaurant.
If you had become a critic today, would it have gone differently? Somebody had to get the ball rolling. It's really an antiquated system. If I had to do it again I would've done it the same way. I don't mind making waves, doing what I believe in. If I did it now, though, and I was suddenly the critic and my picture was in the paper? Yes. I think there would have been a lot less backlash. But, would I want to do it now versus then? No.
What was your most memorable meal? It's almost cliche, but I would say rediscovering Eleven Madison Park. It was always a good restaurant with Danny Meyer-stamped service and a stunning room and you just want to sit there. But suddenly, like, I remember having an awakening. I really didn't even want to go, because it wasn't new. But, someone had told me that I should go try it, because this new chef was a revelation. I rolled my eyes and doubted. But it was really a life altering meal. It was so amazing and refreshing to see a chef that commanded the space and deserved to be on that stage. I felt like it was a real find, a real discovery. It was before anyone else had written about it. It was exciting.
One of the first reasons I started to get attention was when the Russian Tea Room reopened. And there was a construction worker standing outside. And, you know, I'm nosy. I've always been curious. So I sort of befriended him and found out they were reopening. I ran home and blogged about it and got attention! So, it was that same sort of excitement. I found something! It's fun to share a discovery … La Superior was another one. It was really one of the most amazing Mexican meals I've had on the East Coast, maybe ever. So, that was a find and that was fun. And it's affordable. I think Finds are fun.
So, last question about this period. Were you aware of all of the things going on around you that were happening because you were a critic? Yes. I was so overly aware of the server and the waiter and the hostess and whether everyone's food on my table was on time or whether someone was disgruntled next door and whether they knew who I was or whether they didn't know who I was. That's something I don't miss, either. I actually get to sit at a table and be in the moment and enjoy like everyone else does. I knew when they knew I was there. But you'd be surprised how many times they didn't, considering that's their job.
When did you discover that you were so passionate about food? I had really fallen for food, though it wasn't something I was trying to do professionally. I was living in LA and I flew back to New York to be at the opening of Union Pacific. I walked in and I sort of lit up. I remember seeing Rocco and he was someone I had been reading about and eating his food and I was so looking forward to seeing his vision. It was this very exciting moment for me and I realized, this is what I want to do; this is where I belong.
Alright, the book. What's your favorite part? I think the intro. It's my story of how I got into food and how it's nothing extraordinary. It's just another girl's growing up and—the veal cutlets and the pizza and the Coke on tap and the fresh baked cookies and soft-shell crabs in season. And how I went from that to really exploring the entire universe of food. I really do believe that just because you can't go to Thailand or Vietnam doesn't mean you can't eat like you are. It just breaks my heart when people do the same thing every night. Every night you go out and there's an adventure and an opportunity to be had. You really can eat anywhere in the world at the dinner table. If you take one thing away from this it's that I really want people to try something new. Order from the other side of the menu.
Let's talk about some restaurants, then. Top five first date spots: I usually like to see what the man picks, then I overrule. But, definitely Aburiya Kinnosuke and afterwards we're going to Sakagura for shochu and saki and their chocolate molten cake, which has nothing to do with Japan. But it's really good. Balthazar. Because you can share oysters or a steak tartare or maybe a roast chicken. I like steakhouses for a first date. So, Sparks or Strip House. I really like Tia Pol, because it's fun and you're sharing.
How about five places that no one knows about? I love Yakitori Totto for lunch. It's the best time to go, because it's yours. Soba Nippon. I feel like not enough people know about Kajitsu downtown. It's one of these really precious restaurants where they're martyrs for the food. Although it's vegetarian you really don't miss the meat. Wandering Curry Hill is underrated. I discovered Indian food late in life, so now I get it any chance I get. Wondee Siam for takeout. I'll go to Arthur Avenue and just walking around and see what they're making, ricotta or ravioli, and I like to sit and wait for it to be done. ... Tehuitzingo Mexican Deli in Hells Kitchen is amazing. It looks like a dive, but keep persisting to the back. Sopas topped with everything from goat to pork. Huitalacohe. Oh, Thai desserts! Black rice or coconut custards, coconut soups dusted with tapioca. Water chestnuts dusted in tapioca. You can get them anywhere. Bangkok Grocery, for one. There's a whole world of thai desserts we're missing. We don't tap into those places enough. We always get cookies and cupcakes. No more cupcakes, please.
Ok, RG, final question. What's a restaurant that you're embarrassed you haven't been to? Rao's, which I'm really upset about. Somebody take me!
