The Maine Sunday Telegram has drafted John Golden to serves as the newspaper’s weekly restaurant critic spot.
Many years later my perusal of Maine dining – which I will now bring to you in this space, every Sunday – is altogether a different kettle of fish. It’s more about the food – the quality of what you’re eating and where it came from, important factors that make such an otherwise pompous social pecking order seem all the more superficial.
The thrill of it all still excites me today. Of course I have my favorite dining spots, and others that I avoid. As a critic I won’t sugar-coat the experience just to play nice. I will tell it like it is – to report on the good, bad or indifferent experience.
Glad to hear John Golden will now be the new Sunday Telegram Food Critic. He certainly has the experience. Keep up the good work John.
Boo. John Golden is the worst. Can’t deny his experience- but his closed-minded, self-serving attitude combined with his pompous use of the English language leave something to be desired. Can’t imagine I’m alone in thinking this…
I think Don’s post on the PPH says it all. Bad, and lazy, move on the part of the PPH.
Mr. Golden is responsible for some of the worst food writing I’ve ever encountered.
This guy is Maine through and through…a man of the people: “Growing up in New York I was weaned on the infinite pleasures of dining out. That stratified Manhattan restaurant hierarchy of who you knew (the maitre d’) and where you sat (the best banquette) was taught to me at an early age.”
Agree this was a lazy hire. The Portland Paper seems committed to running with the “in” crowd here. While Mr. Golden’s is clearly passionate about food, his opinions bring nothing new or noteworthy to the Portland Food Scene.
None of the Press Herald writers for this column have been terribly good for at least decade. So Golden is holding up a less than steeling tradition.
The best food criticism is being done within the local food blogging community: literate, passionate, and generally versed in their subject. Not all are good I grant you, but the best are far better than the professionals.