Guardian Critics

In response to Ruth Reichl’s article on Ma Be (“Perfect to a Fault, Oct. 9) and the extremely obnoxious poem, “Ma Be, She’s a Poet,” that followed in Calendar Letters (Oct. 16), my only comment is, “How rude can people be?”

Don’t they realize that the only thing standing between “cute” restaurants and “darling” marketing strategies is Reichl and other food critics.

As it is, there is very little culinary integrity in some restaurants in Los Angeles, and your readers should thank their lucky stars that the critics are there to warn them.

How many times have you shelled out $50-$100 for dinner at a purported gourmet operation and had stringy, skimpy duck breast? How many times have you left a restaurant hungry and felt ripped off?

Thank God, for food critics. They try to keep restaurants living up to their projected trendy images.

JAMES R. LEGGE

Executive Chef Services

Bel-Air