The New York Times is downright schizophrenic. On the one hand, they've put their most popular columnists behind a TimesSelect firewall, forcing online readers to pay up or forego daily doses of Maureen Dowd, Thomas Friedman and Bob Herbert.
On the other hand, they're linking to free, staff-written food & wine blogs. Their ponderous restaurant critic, Frank Bruni, has been chruning out for about a month now. There's a promise of livelier writing from wine critic Eric Asimov's whose blog, The Pour launched earlier today.
Asimov promises to avoid the ritualized shorthand of tasting notes and concentrate instead on the pleasures of wine. Can't wait. Meantime, check out his links: online editions of Spectator and Parker are there, to be sure, along with some really idiosyncratic blogs. It's like being turned loose in a friend's wine cellar and finding all sorts of great bottles.
Posted by Ronald Holden at March 15, 2006 10:03 PM
The International Kitchen
Cooking school vacations in Italy, France & Spain.
Who links to me?
Faithful reader Morgy raises an interesting point. True, not many are paying $$ to read MoDo, but I suspect it has more to do with TimesSelect than her politics. Broad palate of flavors out there, from pert, perky NZ sauv blanc (Wonkette?) to over-the-top, alcoholic CA zin (Rush?). You no like, you no have to drink, read or listen ...
Posted by: Ronald at March 16, 2006 8:38 AMSomeone would actually pay to read Maureen Dowd's diatribe?
Posted by: Morgy at March 16, 2006 3:30 AMThanks, "Mibe." What would I do without my cohort of volunteer proofreaders? Fixing right away.
Posted by: Ronald at March 15, 2006 10:42 PMThat should be "Asimov", not "asomov" under the graphics.
Posted by: Mibe Iznus at March 15, 2006 10:37 PM