Sam Sifton Has Restaurant Critics' Number

If your grandmother hasn't already called you to kvetch about it, the New York Times has named its newest restaurant critic now that Frank Bruni has put himself out to pasture with a tell-all memoir. The new alpha dog on the restaurant scene will be Sam Sifton, former assistant Dining editor and current Culture editor. Eater NY has put together a "dossier" on Sifton that includes his photo and recordings of his voice. (No hiding in the Facebook era.) In my favorite quote, Sifton accurately pegs himself and the rest of us who do this work:

Thoughts on reporters and critics: "We have reporters and we have critics...Think of them as work horses and show ponies. You can put reporters in saddle and get them to do everything. With the critics, you offer them sugar cubes and some ribbons."

Good luck, show pony. Good luck.