The Other Critics

Toronto Critic Finally Writes Back to Scott Conant

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A little over a month after Scott Conant penned an “Open Letter to Toronto” that struck certain Canadians as condescending, the Toronto Star’s critic Amy Pataki has done the inevitable and penned a 1.5-star review in the style of the letter. She says she experienced more than one “WTF moment” at the hands of the service, and is amazed by the “undercurrent of pretentiousness” running through certain dishes (though she finds the spaghetti “irreproachable”). The baby goat “looked like airplane food, with its beige potato garnish and over-reduced sauce as sticky as pancake topping.” Other dishes are described as “soupy” and “flabby.” And: “I don’t think I need to tell you how bad the drinks are, either.” Ouch. To be fair, Scarpetta has received more favorable reviews (a halibut dish that Pataki says has “no spark” was described as “brilliant” in the National Post and “beyond impressive” by Eye Weekly) but this critic, at least, probably won’t be pen pals with Scott Conant.

Scarpetta: Dear Scott: It’s not me, it’s you [Toronto Star]

Toronto Critic Finally Writes Back to Scott Conant