The Irish weekend papers in general, the Times in specific

The Times is considered the ne plus ultra of Irish papers, although some people consider it to be a bit too proddy, and prefer the Independent.  Or so my husband tells me.  Take it up with him if you don't agree.  Anyway, he reads the Times, and especially enjoys it on Saturday, which is their Sunday paper, as they don't print on Sunday.  For the most part the paper is not too bad.  Good arts coverage.  Their political coverage seems more considered than others.  Their featured lifestyle columnist, Roisin Ingle, doesn't set my hair on end.  Usually.  

The same can't be said for their restaurant reviewer, Tom Doorley.  How do I hate him? Let me count the ways.  I think we have Ruth Reichl to blame for Tom Doorley's unbearable smug, perpetually self regarding voice.  I believe she was the first, or one of the first, to include a view of her personal life within her reviews.  She's an enticing, honest writer with a rich life and a real appreciation and knowledge of food.  She says "You can be a decent critic if you know about food, but to be a really good one you need to know about life."  A little piece of advice Mr. Doorley could benefit from.

While I always balked at his superior tone, the first review of Doorley's that drove me around the bend was when he reviewed a restaurant that had opened a few days prior, and was working out the kinks.  First of all, what critic would pounce on a restaurant so soon?  He's just asking for a bad experience.  It's a new crew.  There will be mistakes.  That's a given.  Why go in and critique it with the same standards you would a restaurant that's been in business for at least a month.  It was a horrid review.  This man seems to have some power and I am certain his review hurt this new restaurant.  Just mean.

A while after that, he writes that he was going to a restaurant on one side of the Liffey and yet couldn't get in.  This was either because it was booked, or one of the restaurants he was (understandably) banned from.  Now I just want to note here that his photo is published with his column and he advertises wine for local SPAR convenience stores, which have large cut outs of him toasting the unsuspecting customer (probably just in for a breakfast roll) with a glass of white.  Cringe.  Basically, everyone knows what he looks like.  But I digress.  So, he can't get into this restaurant so he goes across the river to a restaurant in a hotel.  One of those restaurants that are decent enough, and are there to serve the hotel clientele.  And of course he reams it in his review.  The restaurant is not putting itself out there as the next big thing.  It's been around for a while, so there's not buzz at all attached to it.  Why review it?  The only thing I can thing about is because of a looming deadline.  Lazy.

In Doorley's reviews, he makes mention of his wonderful (not) life.  He makes mention of his great friends.  He talks, above all, about himself.  Great if you're a good writer with an interesting life.  Not so great if you are a mediocre writer, with what seems like a rather ordinary life.  Of course a good writer can make an ordinary life seem interesting, but likely not in the course of a restaurant review, so perhaps it would be best not to try.  Also, Doorley's interest in food seems to come second to his interest in himself.  He has a lot invested in his readership considering him an expert on food, and life too I guess.  And wine.  Seemingly he's opened a wine shop, or somethings, and is often plugging it.  Or was a while ago.  I can't read him anymore.  It's more than I can take on a Saturday morning.