170074 Fri Apr 02 10:35:15 -0800 2004 6 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 911227 Nice piece on CK and Gillian Clark by Todd Kliman in the City Paper this week, although he might've spent a few more inches extolling the virtues of the food! Kliman and Clark increasingly are, IMHO, two of the unsung (or at least undersung) treasures of our local food scene. For some reason the Chowhound link function won't work for this so here's the URL: https://secure.washingtoncitypaper.com/cgi-bin/Archive/abridged2.bat?path=q:\DocRoot/2004/040402/yh2&search=kliman&SearchString=kliman&AuthorLastName=&IssueDate=mm%2Fdd%2Fyyyy&SelectYear=All&next.x=0&next.y=0 Fri Apr 02 10:35:15 -0800 2004 0 Marty L. 1 911231 "Nice piece on CK and Gillian Clark by Todd Kliman in the City Paper this week, although he might've spent a few more inches extolling the virtues of the food!" Actually I think that is the beauty of Kliman's writing. If you read his reviews in the City Paper, very few of them speak directly to the food, but delve deeper into the inner workings of the chef/restaurant etc. I find this gives his reviews much more depth then I ate this and this and this was good and this wasn't. He certainly offers a fresh take on restaurant reviewing while still getting across the point that this is a restaurant you should go to. Fri Apr 02 11:34:13 -0800 2004 911227 0 Tweaked 2 911237 As a chow-obsessed person and a former restaurant worker, I think Kliman's columns are very interesting, but I don't see him as a food critic. He seems much more concerned with restaurant culture than with the food itself. Which isn't necessarily good or bad, just different. But I have to say I'm surprised to see a column like this in a local paper. Most of my friends with no connection to the industry seem befuddled by his column. They don't really care about the inner workings of restaurants. They just want to know what to order and what not to order. Fri Apr 02 13:07:20 -0800 2004 911231 0 mouse 3 911254 Here's to the former poster's comments. I'm not sure restaurant critic is the proper classification for Mr. Kliman. His Logan Tavern "review" was just him opining about gentrification and coming across as rather bitter. Then in his Palena "review", he wrongly identified the hot dog as veal - it's pork! And he reported several other inaccuracies about the beer and dessert menu. Maybe he should stick to social commentary, not restaurant reviewing. Fri Apr 02 17:24:14 -0800 2004 911237 0 wolfie 4 911264 I thought that Logan Tavern review was spot-on. Also, it was pretty funny in a sort of Richard Lewis / Lewis Black kinda way. As to the point about social commentary -- well, it's interesting. I don't think it has a place in every review, just as I don't think that adoring, full-paragraph descriptions of the decor and ambiance and customers are always needed or desired. But food critics put them there, Sietsema being one of them; sometimes, half of one of his reviews is just an overview of the decor, etc. The argument in favor of is that it helps to give the reader a better picture of the place as a whole. By that same token, I would have to say that talking about the neighborhood is very relevant where certain restaurants are concerned. Think of it as talking about the ambiance, so to speak, only on a larger scale. Have you been to Colorado Kitchen? Have you been to Logan Tavern? Then you will see what I am talking about. I don't think you can discuss these restaurants without talking about their neighborhoods, IMO. Sat Apr 03 15:06:59 -0800 2004 911254 0 Andrew 2 911241 Posted this on the "other" website and thought I would share. Kliman's article on Colorado Kitchen released today is phenomenal. He manages to effectively encapsulate the contradictions and tensions that subtly overshadow race issues in Washington, DC into a succint column on Gillian Clark, her food, restaurant, customers and neighboring community. It's like he's channeling the sensibility and mood of a George Pelecanos mystery and overlaying it onto a restaurant critique. Fri Apr 02 14:24:53 -0800 2004 911231 0 sr.llave 1 911238 The thing that's funny about his column his that he is always covering my favorite places to eat (Buck's, Palena Cafe, Colorado Kitchen), it's crazy. I'm waiting for the column on el charrito (I know he mentioned it in his 1st column). Fri Apr 02 14:10:37 -0800 2004 911227 0 Jason