As much as I enjoy reading Amanda Hesser’s serious work (with most of her Food Diary entries excluded from that grouping in my mind), I was taken aback to see her filling in as the N.Y. Times’ restaurant critic. I suspect she is well known and recognized in restaurant circles, and although not all critics have been anonymous, it is a preferred qualification for the role. Well, the foie gras almost hit the fan last week when the Times published an “Editor’s Note” to set the record straight on Hesser’s review of Spice Market. Owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten has been a subject in Hesser’s feature writing since 1998, according to the Village Voice, and he provided a complimentary blurb for her book. Critics of this interim critic think she should have skipped reviewing what amounts to a friend’s business. And, unfortunately, in reading this week’s review I had to wonder at her ability to effectively judge a restaurant’s service when she may be easily recognized. The waiter brought her a free half bottle of champagne claiming “I forgot to serve it to another table, and I didn’t feel like taking it back to the bar.” Get her out of the restaurant critic gig, and back to the features before all is lost.