Pete Wells was the first food writer I ever really knew existed. Apart, I suppose, from Anthony Bourdain. Having been the New York Times restaurant critic for the last twelve years, Pete Wells oversaw, in a way, my most formative years as a reader, dictating my growing love for food-related-media. This timely overlap led me to firmly believe that Pete Wells had the best job in the world. I stand by that, I think, and wonder how that role will change in its new phase with a different voice. The romance, in my eyes, of Pete Wells’ job, is not the work-sponsored dinners or celebrity, or even the access to any reservation on Earth. Wells, as restaurant critic, is able to see and explore cities in such an artful and particular way—to travel to quiet corners and cash-only windows, and to Michelin-starred restaurants and tasting menus, to see the landscape of a city and its inhabitants through the eyes of what they make, and what they eat.
The intimacy of food writing is an exploration of people as much it is an exploration of places. At the center of every restaurant, every meal, is a chef working obscene hours to produce something that is, in many ways, a reflection of themselves. Surrounding that Chef is a dedicated team producing an experience—whether it’s serving a 3 hour omakase tasting or running a taco counter—to create a something that seems larger than the sum of its parts.
I’ve found this to be the best part of eating around the city; with the intention of writing about my encounters with the food I have eaten, I’ve had the chance to meet such incredible people excelling at their craft. I have gotten to know chefs and managers, servers, bartenders, farmers, purveyors, and kitchen staff—the pieces of the puzzle that is a functioning restaurant. Wells is, by trade, exposed to these very same people, and is able to partake in the symphony of thoughtfully composed dishes they have created. Best of all, he is able to articulate that experience to others. Rather than a vehicle for a buzzy title and free meals, Pete Wells’ role enabled him to have the simple pleasure of meeting the best people—food people.
Pete Wells’ announcement came in tandem with my reading of the Best American Food Essays from last year, which is an nice combination of essays about food, culture, lifestyle, and what it means to be a consumer. This collection of writing exposed me to different ways of thinking about eating, thinking about writing about eating, and all of the subsects of this particular world. All these various avenues make the future of food writing feel particularly poignant, and has really expanded my perception of what food writing can, and should, look like. How fun!
Substacks appear all the time with different food-related content, food magazines come in and out of print, AI writes restaurant reviews, and the landscape of dining changes drastically with each day in a post-pandemic economy. It’s amazing (to me) to think not just of the accomplishments of writers’ past, but to dream of food writing of the future.
Attaching below my favorite Pete Wells pieces, and a few especially good pieces, old and new, I have come across recently. Happy reading! More food next week.
Such a sweet and sincere appreciation! I hope he hires you. 😂