The Hazards of a Restaurant Critic's Job

Description: Adam Platt, on developing a "professional constitution."

Transcript: It’s one of the primary pitfalls of the trade. I try and-- I think I go through phases. I also-- I go to nutritionists now and then. I go through phases of gorging and then starving myself and gorging and starving myself but generally you try and eat not- you try and taste everything because if you eat everything-- When I first got the job I ate everything and I gained about- I gained almost 80 pounds so I was sort of staggering around and that wasn’t good so then I went to a nutritionist and I lost most of it and now I’m slowly gaining it back, but I’m trying to do it with dignity. Well, there were all sorts of things and I’ve blogged on this but you don’t- basically you just don’t eat so much. You don’t-- When-- You’ve got to-- You have to stay away from alcohol because you’re sitting in these restaurants and there’s not- you’re in a restaurant for the 15th straight night and you drink so you try not to do that. You try not to eat bread baskets or the devil as far as critics are concerned, not- no-- It’s very-- It’s sort of common-sense stuff, no carbohydrates, no pastas, just taste them, desserts, just taste them and try not to get carried away. It’s very easy to get carried away and it’s- you have to have- you have to develop a professional constitution.

Recorded on: 4/22/08