Hanna Raskin's Not So Big on Dessert

Today's lone review action comes from Hanna Raskin's "Reviewing the Review" of her Skillet Diner experience. Her mention of Skillet's dry apple pie prompts a scandalous confession: La Raskin doesn't really like dessert. She's more of a cheese and Madeira kind of woman. However she does soldier her way through "at least one or two desserts" at every restaurant she reviews.

To gain some perspective, Raskin consults the review canon of Frank Bruni who, as we all know from his excellent memoir Born Round, does not look askance at the occasional pint of ice cream or box of Nutter Butters. It seems Bruni doesn't give much mention to desserts in his reviews either.

"Like Bruni, I don't think a botched dessert should sink a restaurant," she says. And aside from a few happy exceptions, like Revel's chili-ice cream sandwich, "desserts seem to distract from a restaurant's central narrative."

· Reviewing the Review: Saving Room for Dessert [Seattle Weekly]
[Photo: Eater Seattle]
· All Hanna Raskin Coverage on Eater Seattle [-ESEA-]