Alan Richman Confirmed Out at Bloomberg
Alan Richman is out at Bloomberg, reports say. A tipster reported as much to Gawker over the weekend, and Eater currently is citing “reliable info” that the critic left on his own, rather than getting fired. Our own source on the subject, a figure close to the center of the situation, confirms for us that Richman is no longer reviewing for Bloomberg. As much as we admire Richman’s work, we weren’t entirely surprised: Richman had evidenced tablecloth fatigue over the last few years, and had been at the reviewing grind much longer than any of his current peers. According to Eater, Peter Eliot will replace Richman in the weeks before a permanent replacement is named. More on the story (and our source says there is more to the story) as we hear it.
EaterWire AM Edition: Alan Richman Out at Bloomberg [Eater]
Mediavore
David Lee Roth Is a Shitty Tipper; Alan Richman Out at BloombergThe Shitty Tipper Database on bitterwaitress.com keeps track of people like David Lee Roth, who recently left a $20 tip for a $200 lunch. [NYP]
Alan Richman is out as Bloomberg’s food critic. [Eater]
The bhut jolokia chile pepper is 200 times hotter than a jalapeño and could potentially be used in pepper sprays, but people like eating it and U.S. sales are projected to increase 500 percent this year. [WSJ]
The Other Critics
Wakiya Earns a Second Bagel; Meehan Mistreated at BarFryWakiya’s brief flirtation with the possibility of success seems to be over, now that Frank Bruni has concurred with Adam Platt by handing the restaurant what seems to be a well-deserved bagel. How long before it goes down for the dirt nap is anybody’s guess. [NYT]
Alan Richman, by the way, hates the place even worse. You don’t even have to look beyond his subheads: “Preening.” “Small Portions.” “Incomprehensible Menu.” The bottom line? The place is wildly expensive and “Wakiya suffers from an absence of delights.” To say the least. [Bloomberg]
Peter Meehan, though taking care to praise Josh DeChellis’s cold dishes, had what sounds like a series of awful experiences at BarFry, with terrible service issues. Talk about picking the wrong guy to leave stranded with bottles in his hands! [NYT]