Introduction

New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells has been called the most feared food writer in America. He can make or break a restaurant with the power of one of his reviews. When he goes out, he does so in secret, making reservations under fake names because he doesn't want restaurants to know that he's coming. This week Pete takes Dan on an undercover mission to a New York restaurant. Then they talk about the nuts and bolts of Pete’s life as a critic. He eats out five nights a week, meaning he has plenty of bad meals — so how does he decide which places warrant bad reviews? And how does he account for the fact that different people have different tastes?

This episode originally aired on May 13, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Ngofeen Mputubwele, and Jared O’Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Jared O'Connell, and Nora Ritchie.

Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.