Critic needs to brush up on her Italian

Regarding the review of Valentino restaurant [“Fine Dining, at Arm’s Length,” Oct. 20], I was disappointed that critic Leslie Brenner was so ignorant of Italian gustatory customs that she pigged out on the first dishes and had no room left to enjoy the entree.

If one is going to write about Italian restaurants, then one should know how to pace oneself as Italians do. A true Italian meal is a symphony that can only be discussed once the coda has been played.

The equivalent of Brenner’s gaffe would be a movie critic saying she enjoyed the first half of the film so much she watched it three times and couldn’t pay attention to the second half.

JOHN CROWTHER

Los Angeles