On the Pretensions of Eater-Writers

Can these distant, patronizing, subsidized eater-writers possibly realize the unrivaled irony of the subject of this article--pretension (“ Pop! Goes Pretension--All Around the World,” by Ruth Reichl, Colman Andrews and Alan Davidson, July 31)?

Can anyone think of anything more pretentious than the silly, precious drivel of Reichl, who would seem to be a failed art critic?

Eighty percent of the space is taken up with long articles about meals in restaurants in London and Paris. You can always count on Andrews for this sort of irrelevant stuff, and other pieces of interest only to the trade.

And Dan Berger tells us about “good buys” in wine at $40 and $50 a bottle--and up.

These people, on their apparently unlimited expense accounts, have completely lost touch with the 90% of the readership who, in their hopeless naivete, would like to know about good and unusual places to eat at reasonable prices-- here , where we live.

Reichl asks, “Can this be the beginning of the end of pretension?” It sure doesn’t look like it, with this crew.

W.D. ADAM

Costa Mesa