GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES

Dining out, Reichl observes, is a theatrical experience. It’s even more theatrical when, as the New York Times food critic, you must wear disguises to avoid waiterly “hoverage” and special treatment. Reichl’s stories about reviewing restaurants incognito require narrator Bernadette Dunne to create a variety of voices for Reichl’s alter egos. Dunne not only excels at this task (meet Molly, reticent Midwesterner, or stylish Chloe, blonde sophisticate), she expertly creates a variety of other characters as well, including the voices of Reichl’s quirky Times colleagues, her doorman, Irish nanny, and son, Nicky. In fact, Dunne slips so neatly and convincingly inside Reichl’s voice that listening to the author’s concluding interview comes as an interesting surprise. J.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]