GQ disses Louisville Food

From the current (April 2009) GQ: "although charmingly accented locals will tell you otherwise, Louisville still isn't a first-rate food town." The author, Andy Comer, who claims to be a L'ville native, then goes on to recommend Jack Fry's, implying that it is one of the city's few bright spots.

Does anyone know this Andy Comer? Does Andy know that Louisville has one of the few restaurants in North America that specializes in seviche? And another that serves Mayan cuisine? Andy goes on to mention the "blur of Texas Roadhouse-anchored strip malls and stoner pizzerias" that litter the area. These are legitimate complaints, but EVERY region in the U.S. has the same problem.

I'm glad that Jack Fry's got some press. But Louisville is a first-rate food town, especially when it's size is considered (and even when it is not!).

Blake,

What was the topic of the article that Andy chimed in that "Louisville was not a first- rate food city"? Was he rating food cities? Or was the article about Louisville?

Sounds like we need Marsha to lead an counter-attack on this guy's credibility, he obviously doesn't know Louisville Dining....

Deb

[Robin Garr]

Sounds like GQ - and Andy C - have a credibility problem. Whoever he is, I don't think he's paid his dues in the foodie department.

He appears to be GQ's "multimedia editor," and perhaps - looking at a quick search for "andy comer Louisville" on Google - a musician.

I expect he's been in NYC for a while, and there's no sign of any food-related credentials. <shrug>

You mean there are still some people that are reading GQ ? Wow, who would of thunk it, what next is Uncle Billies Whizbang going to start up again?

Is the article accessible online or do you actually have to buy the magazine to read it? I can feel the righteous indignation building up in my heart, and I would absolutely love to craft an uncompromising letter to the editor. I'd just rather not have to buy a GQ to have to do it.

Is the article accessible online or do you actually have to buy the magazine to read it? I can feel the righteous indignation building up in my heart, and I would absolutely love to craft an uncompromising letter to the editor. I'd just rather not have to buy a GQ to have to do it.

Paul,

Perhaps the best thing would be to ignore this (obviously) ignorant twit. The guy probably spends his days in a 700 sf NY apartment curled up naked, in a bean bag chair eating Cheetos...which is (BTW) a line that comedian Ron White STOLE from me.

Seriously, this guy is probably just trying to get a rise out of someone...Ignore it and it will go away. Besides, no one reads that rag (anymore) anyway.

Sounds like GQ - and Andy C - have a credibility problem. Whoever he is, I don't think he's paid his dues in the foodie department.

He appears to be GQ's "multimedia editor," and perhaps - looking at a quick search for "andy comer Louisville" on Google - a musician.

I expect he's been in NYC for a while, and there's no sign of any food-related credentials. <shrug>

My search on their site ( to find the article) yielded 10 articles by Andy. All of them were Style or Multimedia articles. No food credibility at all.

Deb

Sounds like GQ - and Andy C - have a credibility problem. Whoever he is, I don't think he's paid his dues in the foodie department.

He appears to be GQ's "multimedia editor," and perhaps - looking at a quick search for "andy comer Louisville" on Google - a musician.

I expect he's been in NYC for a while, and there's no sign of any food-related credentials. <shrug>

My search on their site ( to find the article) yielded 10 articles by Andy. All of them were Style or Multimedia articles. No food credibility at all.

Deb

Next up: Andy Comer reports on the medical wasteland of Rochester, Minnesota. "They kept mentioning Mayo this and Mayo that, I hate mayo on anything. Go anywhere else for your medical needs, folks. Nothing happening in Rochester." Strong work, Andy.

Paul,

Perhaps the best thing would be to ignore this (obviously) ignorant twit. The guy probably spends his days in a 700 sf NY apartment curled up naked, in a bean bag chair eating Cheetos...which is (BTW) a line that comedian Ron White STOLE from me.

Seriously, this guy is probably just trying to get a rise out of someone...Ignore it and it will go away. Besides, no one reads that rag (anymore) anyway.

I've never been very good at letting such affronts go by the wayside. Also, I'm not so sure he's trying to get a rise out of someone. From the little bit I've heard so far, I'd guess that your first guess is right and he's simply clueless. There's this primal urge that awakens within me in the face of such ignorance. Some people hunt animals for sport. I prefer witless demagogues.

Paul,

I went through a letter-to-the-editor writing stage in my life. Probably not all that surprising, as I was Opinions Editor for my college paper/rag. I finally gave up most of my "dear editor" writing as I finally figured out that to write such letters was to give the impression that I actually read the material. Take the CJ for example. Do I really want to announce to the world (or the declining readership, more likely) that I not only read something in the CJ but, more importantly, took the time out of my busy life to pen a serious retort? The other option is to write a letter-to-the-editor of a publication you don't actually read. In that case, it's more a letter-from-a-(not actual)-reader.

Maybe you just have more time and gumption than me. I finally came to terms with my writing issue thanks to Jack Handy. Keys in a lava flow. Got to let it go.

In the interest of objectivity I would like to see a link to the article (if one exists). So I might judge for myself.

[Robin Garr]

In the interest of objectivity I would like to see a link to the article (if one exists). So I might judge for myself.

Kelly, I poked around and Googled and searched on http://www.gq.com but couldn't find anything. If anyone else can find it, I hope they'll post, but I've pretty much run dry.

The comments by Andy Comer are on page 70 in a sidebar, so it's not really an article (but then again, GQ is maybe 5% articles, 25% sidebars, & 70% advertising). The main point of the sidebar is to suggest Jack Fry's as a Derby destination (yea!). But the Louisville food-scene diss begins in the first sentence (boo!):

"Note to perspective Kentucky Derby-goers: although charmingly accented locals will tell you otherwise, Louisville still isn't a first-rate food town. (Take it from a transplanted native--visits home are a blur of Texas Roadhouse-anchored strip malls and stoner pizzerias.) Think of Jack Fry's as an antidote to all that..."

The rest of the mini-piece says a lot of nice things about Jack Fry's.

And come on guys, enough with the anti-GQ talk. It's a great magazine. This month's issue includes an article where the guy from Twilight poses in different outfits. Then, there's an article where the guy playing Spock in the new Star Trek movie poses in different outfits. And I shouldn't ruin the whole issue for you, but on pages 116-121, Neil Patrick Harris poses in different outfits.

the chef and owner of jack fry's plan to write a letter to the editor concerning this blurb about how louisville is a great food city; hopefully it will get printed. also the section is titled "get yer reservations soon", or something like that, but ironically we are already booked. looks like our intrepid reporter didnt do his homework. maybe he could have directed readers to one of louisvilles other non-texas roadhouse joints that serve up some damn good food.

I am more interested in the stoner pizza places . . . much more efficient than having the munchies at home and having to wait for delivery.