{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6ace5fa439599f7c5608c536/6ace61d57ce338e8cda06367?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"638: Meet Your New New York Times Restaurant Critic, Tejal Rao","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6ace5fa439599f7c5608c536/630a93532e7ee2b19da0843c852b316c.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>How fun it was to have <strong>Tejal Rao</strong> in the studio. Tejal is the co–chief restaurant critic at the <em>New York Times</em>, a role where she shares the mic with Ligaya Mishan. Newly elevated to this important job, we talk about how she views her role as a critic and go over many of her memorable stories. We also look back on her days working at the <em>Village Voice</em> and discuss how that era of internet reporting (or, dare we call it, blogging) informed her well-respected journalism career. Tejal is one of our favorite voices in food.</p><p>And, at the top of the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where <strong>Aliza</strong> and <strong>Matt</strong> talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: <a href=\"https://www.zimmisnyc.com/\">Zimmi’s</a> knows its way around aioli, Melissa King’s <a href=\"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/716113/cook-like-a-king-by-melissa-king-with-jj-goode/\"><em>Cook Like a King</em></a> is a true standout in a busy cookbook season, and Samin Nosrat knows how people want to eat with her new book, <a href=\"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622646/good-things-by-samin-nosrat/\"><em>Good Things</em></a>. Also: Ed Park’s new short story collection, <a href=\"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/254787/an-oral-history-of-atlantis-by-ed-park/\"><em>An Oral History of Atlantis</em></a>, is such a trip to the ’90s. Speaking of a trip, we made one to Edmond Hong’s restaurant pop-up, <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stones_nyc/\">Stones</a>, and it was impressive. Finally, <a href=\"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723311/steak-house-by-eric-wareheim-with-gabe-ulla/9781984862297/?ref=PRHB7BD76FBDB&amp;aid=14813&amp;linkid=PRHB7BD76FBDB\"><em>Steak House</em></a>, by Eric Wareheim with Gabe Ulla, is documentary cookbook writing at its finest.</p><p><strong>Listen</strong>: <a href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-your-new-new-york-times-restaurant-critic-ligaya/id1393739959?i=1000715253929\">Meet Your New <em>New York Times </em>Restaurant Critic, Ligaya Mishan</a></p><p><strong>Read</strong>: <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/dining/restaurant-review-mori-nozomi-omakase.html\">Omakase Isn’t Always Worth the Hype. Our Critic Says This One Is.</a></p><p><strong>Read</strong>: <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/22/dining/hard-shell-tacos-los-angeles.html\">The Hard-Shell Taco Deserves Your Respect</a></p><p><strong><em>Subscribe to This Is TASTE</em></strong><em>:</em><strong><em> </em></strong><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-taste-podcast/id1393739959?mt=2\"><em>Apple Podcasts</em></a><em>, </em><a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/3LsLXfnYt6Ugml415hyUfh?si=MRMn32W-S5i9HktfZ_eBIg\"><em>Spotify</em></a><em>, </em><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsTASTE\"><em>YouTube</em></a><em> </em></p>\n      <p> </p>","author_name":"Matt Rodbard & Aliza Abarbanel"}