The Science of Food Reviewers: Photographing the Photographer

When you go to a nice restaurant these days, it is not unusual to see people take out their cell phones and take a photo of their food before they begin eating. The explanation is probably that there are so many amateur food bloggers out there, pretending to be professional restaurant reviewers.

So I thought I'd snap the above photo at a recent meal when we were taken out for dinner by a professional wine and food editor. The first thing she or he (gotta be anonymous if you're a real restaurant reviewer, if at all possible) did when each of our plates arrived at the table was to snap images on his/her cell phone.

Consider it a behind-the-scenes look at the food writing business.