Secret Critic Story aired: Tuesday, August 16, 2005
The New York restaurant world is abuzz with the news that one of its most exclusive restaurants will be replacing the institution of tipping with a 20% service charge. Thomas Keller says he's taking the step at his per se restaurant to benefit dishwashers, cooks and others who usually don't get a cut of the tips, and he says it will give all employees a more steady income. But can such an entrenched tradition be changed? The quality of the service was often an issue for author Ruth Reichl when she was restaurant critic for the New York Times. But when she went out to eat, she had to hide her identity from waiters and maitre d's hoping for a good review. She's chronicled her experiences in a new book, "Garlic and Sapphires: the Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise." Here and Now Foodie Scott Haas caught up with her recently at the Casablanca restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts and talked to her about her former life of mystery.
