Critic: ‘You can’t underestimate how the change in technology has changed food writing’

Poynter reporting:
Craig LaBan is the food critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer. He started writing about food professionally in Boston in 1992 and won the James Beard award for restaurant criticism in 2000.
In his own words, LaBan talks about food writing’s past and future.
On the evolution of food writing:

I see a strong evolution in food writing. … It’s moved from the “Ladies Home Journal” “fluffy Jello mold” and recipe card mentality to food as a way to look at the world. It’s been going on for decades, but people didn’t really pay attention to it until Food Network made it cool.
In terms of my approach to food writing, I’ve always just tried to be a good journalist and be curious. I’m open to learning. …
The whole demise of fine dining and the rise of small plates, that’s been an exciting part of the evolution of the food scene but it’s a challenge to writers.
My rating scale was based on the old-school notion of the top of the heap, the fine dining places. But that needs to change and it’s hard to find a way to evolve it gracefully.

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