454: Dining in Disguise with Priya Kirshna, Interim New York Times Restaurant Critic
Aug 26, 2024
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Priya Krishna, a reporter and video host for the New York Times, steps into her new role as a restaurant critic with fresh insights. She discusses the importance of highlighting diverse culinary stories and the evolving challenges in food storytelling. Priya also shares her adventures in creating interactive cookbooks for kids that prioritize diverse palates. The conversation touches on innovative non-alcoholic cocktails and a nostalgic watch party for 'Sex in the City,' blending culinary delights with personal anecdotes.
Priya Krishna highlights the significance of grassroots storytelling in food journalism, emphasizing community connections to uncover hidden culinary narratives.
As an interim restaurant critic, Krishna navigates the challenges of evolving food media by blending traditional reviews with contemporary storytelling techniques.
Deep dives
Priya Krishna's Unique Approach to Food Stories
Priya Krishna emphasizes the importance of exploring lesser-known areas of the food world, particularly stories that often go unnoticed by mainstream media. She highlights her experience of discovering the amazing success of a cookie brand called Crumble in Texas, which has outperformed a legendary cookie shop in New York. This discovery not only showcases a vibrant food trend but also illustrates how food narratives can extend beyond established, urban centers like New York City. Krishna's storytelling seeks to break out of coastal bubbles and highlight diverse food experiences across different regions.
The Role of Community in Story Ideation
Krishna relies heavily on her extensive network of family and friends to spark story ideas, particularly through contributions from her Indian aunties around the country. These informal tips often lead her to impactful and lesser-known stories, such as a Hawaiian restaurant in Salt Lake City that unexpectedly catered to homesick locals. This reliance on grassroots input emphasizes the significance of community connections in journalism and the rich narratives that emerge from them. Her experience showcases how invaluable grass-roots feedback can enrich the culinary narrative landscape.
Capturing Real Experiences in the Food Industry
Krishna’s video series focuses on the often-overlooked food industry workers, allowing their stories to come to light in compelling ways. Each worker she profiles brings unique insights, revealing themes of gratitude, ambition, and community. She shares that observing a cafeteria cook's quiet confidence and a dishwasher’s aspirations has profoundly inspired her, contrasting with her own driven nature. These narratives serve as poignant reminders of the importance of appreciation and fulfillment in one’s current role rather than constant ambition.
Evolving Critique in the Food Industry
As an interim restaurant critic, Krishna expresses her initial anxiety about centering herself in criticism, a departure from her usual reporting style. She addresses the challenge of evolving criticism in an age influenced by social media, suggesting that long-form reviews may need to adapt to incorporate multimedia elements. Her first review focused on a popular Indian restaurant, where she utilized disguises to gauge authentic service and atmosphere. This approach reflects her commitment to genuine dining experiences while navigating the complexities of today's food media landscape.
Priya Krishna is a reporter and video host for New York Times, where she’s currently acting as the co–interim restaurant critic. She’s the author of the best-selling cookbooks Indian-ish and Priya’s Kitchen Adventures: A Cookbook for Kids and the host of the YouTube series “On the Job.” We’ve all been admirers of Priya’s work for years, and it’s so special to have her back on the show to talk about stepping into the role of restaurant critic, and much more, the char siu
Also on the show it’s the return of three things where Aliza and Matt discuss exciting food and drink on their radars. These include: Long Island Compromise is the top of Taffy Brodesser-Akner Mountain, Osakana in the East Village is great for a picnic, Kato in Los Angeles is serving the country's best NA cocktails, the Frozmopolitan is the Cosmo in its best form, congratulations to Yes Plz on your 300th coffee, Brooklyn's Montague Diner is our new favorite diner in Brooklyn, the char siu pineapple bao at Mei Lai Wah is a perfect food.
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