Cracks in Le Dome

Restaurant critic Ruth Reichl seems to resent being upstaged by celebrities while dining at Le Dome (“The Best Course at Le Dome? Celebrities,” Feb. 21).

Wake up and smell the cappuccino , Ruth. Welcome to Hollywood, where if you aren’t a celebrity, you are a waiter. (Or a critic, for that matter). That should explain both our positions.

Since Ruth saw fit to slag the “invisible” waiters at Le Dome, I must question her competence as a critic. She states that to find the good dishes “it takes either luck or knowledge to get them.”

Should not a food critic, of all people, possess at least such knowledge? Her ordering and commenting on such staple menu items as onion soup, mushroom caps, steak, chicken and French fries suggests a total lack of imagination, and, at best, a very pedestrian appreciation of gourmet food.

How she overlooked such delectable specialty items as grilled Louisiana shrimp with black linguini and basil sauce, or, fresh poached loup de mer with a mustard-dill sauce, is beyond me, since all waiters at Le Dome are instructed to tell all customers about all the specials. (We do as we are told.)

My dear Ruth: If you must judge a restaurant by the quality of its steak and mushroom caps, I suggest you go directly to the Palm, or any other restaurant known for such items.

Oh, and don’t forget your calculator. You might need it to count all the celebrities.

MARK (MARCO) EBNER

“Waiter to the Stars”

Le Dome