In today’s episode, I talk to Craig Laban, a restaurant critic and columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Since falling into his satiating career reviewing restaurants, he’s made a name for himself (albeit undercover) exploring the unique flavors of the city.
You’ll hear how Craig’s career first began, and the perks and pitfalls of life as a restaurant critic. He shares the stories behind the down-to-earth food trends taking place in Philadelphia, and exactly how a food critic goes about creating a “best of” restaurant list.
What you'll learn with Craig Laban
- The day to day life of a restaurant critic (2:35)
- Food Critic Craig Laban explains difference between a food columnist and a food writer (3:36)
- The birth of the Liberty Bell rating system (4:56)
- How Craig Laban's job changed during the pandemic (8:52)
- Why he tries to remain anonymous (11:34)
- How Craig Laban got into food writing (14:53)
- The effect of social media on the food world (20:30)
- How the internet is inspiring a more global perspective among chefs (21:06)
- Choosing restaurants to review (22:49)
- How the Dining Guide differs from the year-round reviews (24:10)
- How you narrow down the Top 10 best restaurants (25:20)
- Finding the spark of magic in a restaurant experience (27:03)
- Why investing in a food critic as a publication is worth it (29:05)
- What makes restaurants in Philadelphia unique (30:18)
- The biggest food trends influencing the city right now (31:41)
- Philly’s top 6 must-try restaurants (35:36)
- Food Critic Craig Laban's most inspiring cookbooks (40:31)
- The best and worst aspects of being a food critic (41:28)
- Blowback after negative reviews (43:12)
- Series of rapid-fire questions.
- Link to the podcast episode on Apple Podcast
Links to other episodes in Philadelphia
Links to most downloaded episodes (click on any picture to listen to the episode)
