Pete Wells was a maestro. The NY Times/NY food scene hasn’t been the same since.

Ever since he left, they’ve tried to replace him with a potpourri of writers, and none are remotely close to supplanting his prose. They don’t even review NYC restaurants exclusively anymore – it’s national now.

He was as ubiquitous a part of the NY food scene as Jonathan Gold in Los Angeles, who sadly passed away.

Eater NY isn’t serious criticism – they frequently write puff pieces. And with all due respect to Robert Siestema, he doesn’t have the dexterity with the pen Wells had.

I actually turn to this subreddit for restaurant reviews, mostly, but none of y’all are particularly great writers, respectfully. And I’m including myself.

I miss his reviews tremendously. I found them fair, balanced, very funny, and often iconic: Señor Frogs, Peter Luger’s, and his capolavoro, the scathing takedown of Guy Fieri’s Times Square joint. It was an all-timer.

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/dining/reviews/restaurant-review-guys-american-kitchen-bar-in-times-square.html?unlocked_article_code=1.U1A.epa9.DvGoP7r8Hc01&smid=url-share

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/30/dining/senor-frogs-review.html?unlocked_article_code=1.U1A.yY8a.sI7zflwoTBVr&smid=url-share

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/dining/peter-luger-review-pete-wells.html?unlocked_article_code=1.U1A.c_fu.3yE-mSmxvbWR&smid=url-share