Inside the Life and Lens of Besha Rodell: A Memoir of Restaurant Criticism

Memoirs by food critics often face the challenge of balancing two competing elements: the allure of the diverse dishes sampled and the depth of the author’s personal life beyond the palate. In today’s culture of sharing every meal online, simply dining lavishly no longer guarantees an engaging story or an insightful narrative.

Besha Rodell’s life story is as distinctive as her name. She recounts in the author’s note of "Hunger Like a Thirst" that a high school boyfriend once accused her of fabricating her entire biography, starting with her elaborate given name.

Born on a farm named Narnia in Australia, Rodell is the daughter of hippie parents. Her father, who has pursued many careers and interests, was then immersed in religious scholarship, inspiring her unique name—a blend of two biblical names.

At 14, her mother relocated the family back to the United States with a new husband. Over the first two decades of her life, Rodell frequently moved between Australia and the U.S., as well as between various states within America. She reflects, "‘I’m not from here’ is central to my identity."

This sense of being an outsider deeply informs her approach to restaurant criticism. Unlike many of her peers who are often male and financially privileged, Rodell writes from the perspective of someone distanced yet unprivileged. She candidly states, "For better or worse, this is the life I live—the life of a woman who struggles to pay utility bills yet can still afford to dine on steak and martinis." This perspective, she believes, is her strength: "Dining out was never something I took for granted."

Her passion for fine dining began on the ninth birthday of a childhood friend, when she accompanied the celebration at the town’s most upscale restaurant. She was captivated not just by the dishes, but by "the mesmerizing, intense luxury of it all." Despite ongoing financial hardships, she pursued this enchantment—the unique opulence of exceptional restaurants—not as a path to wealth, but as an alluring performance.

To earn her place as a writer paid modestly to review top-tier restaurants, Rodell juggled multiple jobs, including restaurant work, unpaid internships, and academic studies.

Her career advanced as she succeeded Atlanta’s leading restaurant critic and later took over for a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at a major Los Angeles publication. She garnered several James Beard Award nominations and won one for an article exploring the cultural impact of the 40-ounce malt liquor bottle.

After relocating to Australia with her husband and son, Rodell became a restaurant reviewer for a prominent publication’s Australia bureau, eventually serving as the global dining critic for renowned food and travel magazines. Her international jet-setting and experiences at elite establishments contrast sharply with her everyday reality, where making rent and affording groceries remain constant challenges.

Rodell’s outsider vantage point also equips her to trace the history and evolution of restaurant criticism itself. She articulates this history with clarity, demonstrating how it has influenced her own voice. The book includes excerpts of her writing to illustrate her critical philosophy, making it an essential read for those interested in cultural critique.

While ambitious in scope, the memoir’s structure can feel fragmented. Although the organizational choices are intentional and meaningful, some transitions appear somewhat forced.

In the epilogue, Rodell credits Anthony Bourdain’s "Kitchen Confidential" table of contents as inspiration, dedicating a section titled "Tony" to him. However, ending the memoir with a figure whose influence is so dominant somewhat overshadows Rodell’s own narrative. Her approach might resonate more closely with Gen X feminist Liz Phair, whose lyric inspired the book’s title.

Despite these structural imperfections, Rodell’s memoir stands as a remarkable achievement. Any publication seeking a discerning and insightful dining critic in New York would find no shortage of praise from readers like this one.