Career Profile: Restaurant Reviewer	Home	Español
		Informal perspective of what an occupation might be like.

What I Do: How would you like to get paid to eat out? My employer pays me to eat at a different restaurant every week and order anything I'd like, no matter how much it costs! But that's not the only thing I get paid to do. I also write a review of each restaurant I visit for the newspaper that employs me as a food critic. I select one restaurant per week to evaluate. Without telling the staff who I am, I sample as many of the items on the menu as I can. I usually visit each restaurant twice. Then I write an article for my newspaper describing the quality of the food and the service, and recommending the best dishes to my readers.

Best and Hardest Parts of My Job: Anyone who loves food would like this job. Picky eaters need not apply! Restaurant reviewers have to taste all types of food, from lox to lasagna. That's the best part of my job. I also love to write. The hardest party of my job is keeping my weight under control. Imagine sampling every delicious dessert on a menu! The calories can really add up, so I make sure I eat right the rest of the week.

How I Got Started: I've always been interested in both food and journalism. When I was in college, I majored in journalism but supported myself as an assistant cook in a nearby restaurant. I learned a lot about food preparation on the job. I decided to combine my interests by writing reviews as a food critic. At first I worked for a weekly suburban newspaper. After I gained experience, I then went to work for a big city newspaper where I write weekly reviews. It's a fun way to earn a living!