To me, meeting Michael Bauer, the San Francisco Chronicle’s all-time popular and super smart food critic almost seemed like a dream come true. Meeting someone who shares the exact same passion to eat out and know “where to go” in town was suppose to be a real eye-opener, a great experience, and a way to see how I might go about getting the same job title. Unfortunately, my exciting date with one of the most notorious food critics quickly turned into a phone interview after the critic couldn’t bear to meet up because of “time-constraints” and “devastating lay-offs at the Chronicle.”
Although I definitely would have preferred meeting Bauer in person, I have to admit that the phone interview was quite a success. Mr. Bauer surprisingly did not start off as a food critic; in fact, he started off writing for the Kansas City Star as the mental health writer. Bauer graduated with a degree in mental health, and enjoyed writing about how to cope with depression and even suicide. It was not until the Dallas Times was in need of a new food editor that Bauer started writing up on restaurants.
Bauer admitted to always having quite the interest in food and cuisine, especially since his father owned his own Butcher shop in his hometown of Kansas City. Bauer even worked at his father’s store before he began his career as a journalist. Now, Bauer is an established food critic as the Chronicle, which is something he enjoys doing tremendously. His profession is a passion turned into a career, which is hard to find these days. His status and name has turned him into a almost somewhat of a “celebrity” here in San Francisco, in that restaurants began changing their menus to satisfy Bauer’s taste buds. The article that spoke about Bauer and different restaurants catering to his preferences in exchange for a rave review was published about ten years ago.
Ten years ago is a long time, but for Bauer he remembers the article like it came out yesterday. Bauer still laughs at the article, and says it was rubbish. Perhaps, we mustn’t believe everything we read. Apparently, the author of the article said that restaurants were now adding items like “beet salads” and “scallops” to their menus because Bauer loved these dishes. The ironic part of the article is that Bauer is actually allergic to scallops, and never orders them! Funny. Though the recognition to some may be a good thing, Bauer admitted that is made him more noticeable in restaurants, which he does not prefer.
Bauer prefers to walk into a restaurant with a couple people anonymously. He does not like when restaurants or chefs know he is present in the dining room, because he feels that he deserves different treatment. The best way to review a restaurant to Bauer is to be anonymous so that he can get the true experience, and therefore write a better review for his foodies of followers. Bauer also admitted to using different name for his reservations as well so that no one knows he’s coming. This enables him to “follow his palate, and remain fair.”
Bauer never eats for free, but doesn’t pay out of his own pocket either. The Chronicle pays for his meals, which to him is a part of his job, and to me is a total perk.
To Bauer, the perks are being able to eat out every night, which he would do whether or not he was a critic. His no notes method while eating out proves that he is quite the professional, because he is used to different spices and plates. He is such an expert about restaurants around the Bay Area; he does not read other reviewers. The only time he will read other food critics is if he is in a town he isn’t familiar with. Is that pure arrogance, or true confidence? It’s you’re call.
One fact that is interesting to know about the critic is that he burns “500 calories a day” to keep fit from all of the eating out he does. Since I did not see him face-to-face, I am not sure whether this technique works or not. The 56-year-old critic recommends that the up-and-coming food critics start reviewing on sites like “Yelp,” or start blogging about their dining experiences. Bauer is weary about the future of the food critic, and didn’t think it looked good, yet he remains optimistic. Unfortunately, Bauer would not reveal his income, or even give me a range of what his income might be. Bauer did tell me his favorite restaurants here in San Francisco though which gives me something new to try (and you too) like “Baretta,” “Yank Sang,” “Nopalita,” “Nopa,” and (one of my favorites) “Foreign Cinema.” The fact that one of my favorite restaurants here in San Francisco matches up with Bauer tells me that maybe I too have somewhat of a sophisticated palate, and perhaps even have a shot as a future food critic, fingers crossed of course.
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