Apologies for probably boring you with insider tittle-tattle about restaurant criticism when we’re so behind with actual restaurant reviews, but last week’s news about the launch of the first Gault Millau guide to local eateries deserves a mention. Not because the addition of yet another guidebook is particularly newsworthy. Rather, what’s interesting is the announcement that its editor would be Tamás Molnár B., fresh from a messy split with the publisher of the the Alexandra Restaurant and Wine Guide series he launched back in 2008.
While “MBT” does enjoy a certain reputation for gruff candor – which no doubt helped in the initial success of the Alexandra Étteremkalauz – he, like some other big-name food writers in this town, is said to routinely work as a “consultant” to some of the same restaurants he is responsible for critiquing on behalf of readers. Which raises what is often euphemistically called “the appearance of impropriety,” if not the specter of lethal putrid PR contamination of the sort that led to the recent bust-up of the local edition of Decanter. On the other hand, no matter what happens the GaultMillau étteremkalauz will still be better than the “Best of Budapest”…
to me its doesn’t smells good …Seems like Mr. Molnar B, Pollock, Pinter, Hidvegi and all of their troop got it again on their side. Will be to say the least interesting to compare this and next year book…
No question, there was impropriety in the past, too.
The leader of an organization (MGE) criticized the
restaurants connected with his organization and the
restaurants connected with the competitor
organization (MNGSZ) in Alexandra Guide…
Perhaps he will recognise the emerging need for
clean separation of activities as the responsible
for an international guide.
they already found someone to finance all the bocuse d or thing (dont really need to say who do i?) so now it’s just a question to see how they are going to manage the GM Hungary guide…
like the song “somethings will never change”