Photo by Eric Lewis, used under CC license
“You’re used to being lectured by distinguished guests… I’m the guy who writes about taco stands,” says Jonathan Gold to a room full of University of Oregon School of Journalism students, professors, staff, and a few others who are intrigued by the lecture.
Jonathan Gold, Los Angeles’ top food critic came to the University of Oregon on Thursday, April 7, to give a taste of what makes a Pulitzer winning food critic. He didn’t focus on his awards, or where he worked, or his background. Gold spoke more about his experiences, his delights in food, and who he is when he travels—a guy who is emotionally attached to his guidebooks and cannot stray from them.
Gold tells a story about how a guidebook led him and some other journalists and foodies to a small, out of the way restaurant in Italy. The food they found there surpassed all of their expectations and more. It was that experience he says, that really made him believe in the power of guidebooks.
So how does a guy who puts his travel experiences in the hands of guidebooks feel about the necessity of having sustainable, local, seasonal, and organic food?
“Food that’s grown locally tastes better. Food that’s seasonal, tastes better… the only times [local, sustainable, and seasonal food] seems dreary are those times when everyone is serving the same exact thing at the exact same time,” Gold says. Continue reading →