• Garlic and Sapphires

  • The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise
  • By: Ruth Reichl
  • Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
  • Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,257 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Garlic and Sapphires  By  cover art

Garlic and Sapphires

By: Ruth Reichl
Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.75

Buy for $15.75

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

Reichl, former New York Times restaurant critic, takes you on an undercover tour of the best New York restaurants. She makes you feel like you're right there with her, disguise and all. That's right, disguise. Because her work required anonymity, Reichl had to don new disguises in each restaurant. Her memories of both food and façade are fascinating and highly entertaining.

Her descriptions of food will have even the pickiest eater craving sushi, caviar, even squid ink! She also includes simple recipes for things like New York Style Cheesecake and Spaghetti Carbonara.

Narrator Bernadette Dunne sounds very much like Reichl herself, inhabiting every delicious moment and brining you along for the bite. Whether you're a food fan or not, this is a great memoir.

Publisher's summary

Garlic and Sapphires is Ruth Reichl's riotous account of the many disguises she employs to dine anonymously. There is her stint as Molly Hollis, a frumpy blond with manicured nails and an off-beige Armani suit that Ruth takes on when reviewing Le Cirque. The result: her famous double review of the restaurant: First she ate there as Molly; and then as she was coddled and pampered on her visit there as Ruth, New York Times food critic.

What is even more remarkable about Reichl's spy games is that as she takes on these various disguises, she finds herself changed not just superficially, but in character as well. She gives a remarkable account of how one's outer appearance can very much influence one's inner character, expectations, and appetites.

As she writes, "Every restaurant is a theater...even the modest restaurants offer the opportunity to become someone else, at least for a little while." Garlic and Sapphires is a reflection on personal identity and role playing in the decadent, epicurean theaters of the restaurant world.

©2005 Ruth Reichl (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This wonderful book is funny - at times laugh-out-loud funny - and smart and wise." (The Washington Post)

"Reichl is so gifted...the reader remains hungry for more." (USA Today)

"Expansive and funny." (Entertainment Weekly)

What listeners say about Garlic and Sapphires

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    700
  • 4 Stars
    378
  • 3 Stars
    137
  • 2 Stars
    31
  • 1 Stars
    11
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    527
  • 4 Stars
    194
  • 3 Stars
    62
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    473
  • 4 Stars
    212
  • 3 Stars
    81
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Should include all recipes in pdf for audible vers

Excellent -- only criticism is that all recipes should have been included in the pdf for audible listeners.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Good Foodie Book

This was fun and inspiring as far as the food stories. I had a hard time wrapping my arms around the author though. Part of me found her false. I'd have rather read it than listen to it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

Entertaining, touching and comforting book which I highly recommend for anyone who loves food or a good story about living life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book, awesome reader

This gets 5 stars from me, and for good reason. The book is a great read and is my favorite audiobook so far. The author's humble attitude toward food, critiquing restaurants, and her career choices is inviting and welcoming to the reader. Her recounting cooking in a Berkeley commune fondly brought me back to my own experience learning to cook in a Berkeley co-op - especially how cooking is more pleasurable done in a community, with plenty of people in the kitchen. The reader adds a delicious flavor with her voice and character accents. I found myself racing through this audiobook on my daily commute, even enjoying hearing the details of the recipes I would never have the patience to copy down to cook. Ruth, thanks for a great book and Bernadette, kudos to the great reading!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

More Sapphires!

Despite the opening lines and the narrators voice being hard to take, I got past its somewhat harsh edge and was totally enveloped in this insiders story on the world of food critics and restaurants. I found myself researching photos of Ruth, the restaurants and chefs and oddly sometimes feel I actually visibly read this book I was so transported into. It left me wanting more!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love this author’s writing

Ruth is a wonderful author and I found myself wanting to taste and be at the restaurants she visited. The disguises and personas she took on were funny and insightful. Loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Critic in Disguise-

Great book on critiquing restaurants and even more interesting tales of being in disguise. We all should walk in one another’s shoes. Great read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Loved It!

I picked this book because I really loved the Narrator. She did such a great job with Devil Wears Prada and she was WONDERFUL in this.
I enjoyed hearing the author's dining experiences. I also liked how she explained the food and gave you some really good recipes too.
I recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

enticing

The narrator was so easy to listen to and very fitting to the descriptive words and rythm to Ruth's words. can't believe the book ended, loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and interesting real life story

Ruth is a great writer and freely shares her emotions as she recounts her career journey. This story really helps us see ourselves as a culture but also encouraged some introspection, as Ruth does the same. I found this very interesting and enjoyable. Excellent audio quality and diction.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!