John T. Edge NYT food blog

Don't know if this has crept into the forum yet. But, John T. edge had some nice things to say about our fair town in his April 16th NYT blog. "(Louisville) it's one of our country’s under-appreciated culinary jewels." I wish he had mentioned some of other great food sources, but a national mention for Louisville and its food is still pretty nice. Here is the link and its the third question down.
Diners Journal
(Hat tip to Broken Sidewalk blog)

Jon,

Thanks for posting it. I know he was here for the Southern Foodways Alliance conference last summer. (I spent most of the day with him knowing he was "a food writer", but only later found out that I should have known his name... ) Great to see we got some good press!

Deb

I'm sorry, this is NOT the P.R. that Louisville's culinary scene needs in the New York Times. Ollie's Trolley! Shuckman's Smoked Fish! This is catering to the stereo type that out of staters propegate about Louisville and Kentucky in general.

The sophistication and complexity of the dishes that come out of Louisville's restaurrant kitchens can compete with most cities in this country. I am not saying that Ollie's or Schuckman's aren't good eating. I am just commenting that there is an elegance to the restaurant scene in Louisville that most of the country is not aware of. You do not dine at Ollie's or Schuckman's. I want people to know they can dine in Louisville and have a meal that gourmands and gourmets will cherish.

[Robin Garr]

I'm sorry, this is NOT the P.R. that Louisville's culinary scene needs in the New York Times. Ollie's Trolley! Shuckman's Smoked Fish! This is catering to the stereo type that out of staters propegate about Louisville and Kentucky in general.

Totally agree. I got flamed the last time I questioned Mr. Edge's approach as a food writer, but it seems that his vision of Louisville is based more on story ideas that he can sell that show us as a quaint little village in Flyover Country. His clients at the NY Times are probably a lot less interested in hearing about Seviche or Corbett's ... no "man bites dog" angle for a Kentucky food story.

Does anyone know John Edge? It sure seems like if he's going to write as an expert on Louisville dining we ought to invite him into this forum and, perhaps, broaden his perspective about our town a bit.

What Phil said.

I think it's a mixed bag. I certainly don't think Ollie's Trolley and the Social Club are representative of the best we have. But John Edge is the Dining Out blogger for the Times and when he says "I’m a big fan of Louisville. In fact, I think it’s one of our country’s under-appreciated culinary jewels." it ain't a bad thing. You can bet that quote will show up (and rightly should) when web sites, bloggers and other food writers survey the Louisville dining scene. As for Edge's credentials, they stand up to scrutiny. Besides blogging for the Times, he's an associate editor for Gourmet, has been nominated for four James Beard Foundation Awards, including the M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award. In 2009, he was inducted into Beard's Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America. I can't agree with his judgment about Louisville dining, but he's got solid credentials. Here's the link to the full bio on his website:
http://www.johntedge.com/bio/

I totally appreciate the post and would graciously accept the positive publicity.

Folks,

I understand the reaction, but not knowing who John T. is, I think we are taking this out of context. John T. Edge is all about traditional Southern Foods and preserving individual location's food heritage and traditions. He's the Director of the Southern Foodways alliance for exactly that reason:

SFA Staff Members

John T Edge is the author or editor of more than ten books, including the foodways volume of the New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, Cornbread Nation: the Best of Southern Food Writing, and Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover’s Companion to the South. He also writes for a bunch of different publications, including Gourmet. His son, Jess, won't eat souse or trotters. Neither will his wife, Blair Hobbs, a poet, teacher, and painter. This situation frustrates Edge and he sees no resolution forthcoming.

So his recommendations are for uniquely Louisville, Southern Foods- he's a beaten biscuit & Rolled oyster foodie- not a Seviche or Proof kind of guy. I'm with Jon, I think we should be thrilled that he left with such a great view of Louisville's culinary traditions and is spreading it to the world. There are many great food cultures in Louisville, not all of them for gourmands.

Deb