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News Tue Sep 13 2011
Goodbye Pat Bruno, Food Critic & Punching Bag
Pat Bruno, the Sun-Times' longtime restaurant critic, was fired on Monday. His last pieces for the paper will be published Friday. Eater reports a rumor that his replacement has already been chosen.
Bruno has gotten plenty of flack over the years for being less than fresh in his reporting. Grub Street and Chicagoist have been particularly hard on him, noting his very public outing via "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" and his reviewing two locations of the same restaurant in the same year. His reputation (at least among food media and enthusiasts I've talked to) has been for phoning in his reviews. One might have figured the writing was on the wall.
Still, a summary dismissal by a "mid-level editor" after nearly three decades of service seems a little harsh. As he told Phil Vettel, "I've known (publisher) John Barron for 28 years. All he had to do is pick up the phone and tell me himself. He didn't have the balls to do that. I wasn't expecting roses at my feet, just a phone call from someone who appreciated what I did all these years."
For those itching for a Bruno fix, he will continue to contribute restaurant reviews to WBBM News Radio and Pizza Today magazine. He told Feder and Vettel that he plans to develop a website of his own on which to post his reviews, as well. I guess we'll see if he can beat the nattering nabobs of the blogosphere at their own game.
Andie / September 16, 2011 7:46 AM
...There's a Pizza Today magazine??