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DIABETIC SHOCK:
The readers of The Record's print edition are predominantly older, and I imagine many went into diabetic shock when they saw a huge photo on the Better Living cover last Friday, Feb. 8, of a French dessert called tarte Tartin topped with a scoop of ice cream, said to be served at a restaurant in Westwood.
The cover photo was part of a story on "5 new restaurants you need to try now" by Food Editor Esther Davidowitz, who single handedly has recommended more unhealthy or low quality, crappy food than any other single staffer at the paper. (There's the number 5 again, suggesting that is all the room the paper had on that Friday, when you include blown-up photos of the recommended dishes.)
Don't you resent some faceless food editor claiming you must try a restaurant and do it now? What arrogance. Davidowitz is one of the staffers who survived the Gannett takeover; the rest of the staff is made up of young, inexperienced reporters who don't know shit from Shinola, and can't possibly fathom some of the biggest issues in Hackensack, such as the impact of tax-exempt non-profits on the property taxes paid by homeowners and small businesses.
Two days earlier, on Wednesday, Feb. 6, the Better Living cover article carried these headlines:
"Urge to splurge"
"Treat yourself to fabulous food at these 14 restaurant"
Make sure your gas tank is full or that your electric car is fully charged, if you intend to eat at all of them. Although Bergen County is where the majority of readers live, eating at most of the 14 would be a road trip -- the recommended restaurants are in Princeton, Warren, New Brunswick, Merchantville, Swedesboro, New Hope (Pa.), Collingswood, Middletown and Asbury Park.
And, of course, if you went to any of those 9 far-off restaurants and wanted to enjoy wine with your dinner, you'd have to have a designated driver.
Davidowitz, the arrogant food editor, sniffs, "Here are 14 NJ restaurants where the food may be more than you're used to paying but it's often better -- much better -- than you're used to getting."
How could she possibly know that? And she wrote "the food may be more..." when she meant to say "the food may cost more..."
What she doesn't say is to assure readers she and the other reviewers whose bylines appear over the article actually paid for their meals; otherwise, the article would be little more than advertising.