Legendary Food Critic Ruth Reichl Dishes About Memoir 'Save Me The Plums'

BAL HARBOUR (CBSMiami) – Ruth Reichl's restaurant reviews and epicurean insights have been savored by her fans for some 50 years now.

The trailblazing food writer first made a name for herself working at the Los Angeles times before taking her expertise east to the New York Times and then as Editor-In-Chief of Gourmet Magazine.

Now the legendary food critic is promoting her new memoir, Save Me The Plums, and sat down recently with CBS4's Lisa Petrillo while at an event at Books and Books at Bal Harbour shops.

Her career began when this self-described Berkley hippie was writing fun food stories in a local paper and was plucked away by the LA Times to be their food critic.

"The LA Times came and said, 'We want you to be our restaurant critic' and I said, 'You're crazy I don't have any journalism background and now I'm going to be the biggest voice west of the Mississippi?' Then I loved it, it was the greatest job," she told Petrillo.

A few years later, she was handpicked to be the food critic for the New York Times. On the airplane heading to the Big Apple, she met a woman and immediately realized her life had changed.

"She said 'I know who you are and you're about to be a restaurant critic with The New York Times and there's a huge picture of you in the restaurant at work. There's a huge sign that says 'Wanted' across the bottom of it and there's $1,000 dollars for anyone who spots you in the restaurant!' Suddenly, I thought this is different than anything I've experienced before," Ruth recalled.

From then on, she was a food critic in disguise.

"Wigs, clothing, all my characters had complete back stories, their own jewelry. Some wore make-up, some didn't. I had old ladies, I had a very slinky blond like you, and they really didn't know when I went in," said Ruth laughing.

And for the times she's had to write negative reviews?

"You always want to write positives reviews about great places they are going to love, but it's your responsibility to tell the truth."

In 1999, she was plucked to be Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet Magazine.

"The first thing the head of PR at Conde Naste was told was make her do something about her hair, show her how to use makeup get her some clothes. Suddenly I'm like Cinderella. I don't know if I was ever quite up to their standards. Anna Wintour always looked at me a little strange in the elevator," she said.

Save Me the Plumbs also documents how, after 10 years at Gourmet Magazine, Ruth and her staff were given only 2 days notice before it was shut down for good. But her love for food still runs strong.

"If you told me when I started out that Americans would suddenly come to care passionately about food I would have danced for joy and I'm dancing for joy," she said.

Save Me The Plumbs is out now.