Hi Todd,
Love your chats. Big fan. Do you have any tips for an aspiring food journalist?
I recently accepted a journalism internship in Central Asia where part of my duties is to write restaurant reviews. I’ve never done this before, even though I love writing, and love eating out, and love sharing my experiences. I read your column religiously, but do you have any advice for me before I ship out.
I’d appreciate it very much!
Todd Kliman:
A few quick words, since I’m running behind, and you can send me a note this afternoon via email to continue the conversation if you like. tkliman@washingtonian.com
Advice. Well, I think the big thing is to remember that it’s a writing job. Not an eating job.
A lot of people have traveled widely, and love to eat, and know a lot about food, and some of them even possess a good palate. But can they write gracefully? With humor? Can they turn a memorable phrase? Can they conjure an atmosphere and put a reader in a place he or she has never been? Do they have a gift for the telling detail — i.e., not swarms of observations but the one small thing that somehow conveys a whole world? Can they meet a deadline? Can they meet a deadline every week? Can they do it for months?
I have other thoughts, but as I said, time is not on my side at the moment. I’ll be happy to chat later today …
Good luck, by the way! It sounds like a terrific adventure. You’re lucky …
![I’m a Jersey girl. What do I want? A classic Jersey Italian restaurant with my beloved fettuccine Alfredo listed on the menu. Will “Jersey Mike” provide me with that satisfaction at his new DC restaurant? Nope.
Gravy Trained: Mike Isabella’s Jersey-Italian eater is neither Jersey nor Italian. Discuss. [Washington City Paper]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lq58xfj70m1qca8zyo1_500.jpg)
