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[REVIEW]
Back on Track COVID-19, Little Fox and the review that never happened Written by
CHERYL BAEHR Little Fox 2001 Park Avenue, 314-696-2699. Wed.Thurs. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (Closed Monday and Tuesday.)
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n retrospect, I wonder if I knew deep down that this was the end. Sitting in Little Fox’s dining room the evening of March 14, 2020, I think everyone in that packed house had the same inkling. The room had what must have been the feeling in the salons onboard the Titanic, where music played as the water flooded the steam room: We understood we were about to meet our doom, yet we hadn’t fully come to terms with it. That night, I’d gathered with three friends for what was to be a typical review dinner. We showed up for our reservation and settled into our seats, prepared to methodically approach the meal, as is usual for a restaurant review, and strategizing who would order what appetizer, salad, dinner and dessert. What wasn’t typical was how we looked over our shoulders with suspicion at anyone who so much as cleared their throat. Deep down, we knew we shouldn’t be dining out. Northern Italy was a hellscape; New York City wasn’t far behind, and as the numbers of COVID-19 cases began to rise in St. Louis, we could feel that life as we knew it was about to change. So we drank. A lot. And ate. A lot. And as we stumbled out of the restaurant into our Lyfts, I looked over my shoulder at Little Fox’s storefront, taking in its warm glow and absorbing the energy of the numerous patrons in various states of merriment, searing that moment in time into my memory because I knew I wouldn’t be back
Before the pandemic, Little Fox put together the total package — impeccable service, amazing atmosphere and outstanding food. | MABEL SUEN anytime soon. What I didn’t fully grasp was what that meant for my job as a dining critic. For seven years, I’d been reviewing restaurants for the RFT, assuming that train would keep running indefinitely. owever, while reviewing my notes the Monday following that visit to Little Fox, I felt the need to pull the emergency cord. After texting some colleagues about the issue I emailed my editor, informing her of my discomfort in filing a review and asking for her advice. When I didn’t hear back from her right away, I was concerned, because she was always so prompt in her replies. The next morning, I found out what the issue was: She had been furloughed. And so had I. Now, almost a year later, I’m again at my keyboard on a Wednesday morning, trying to lend some coherence to the scattered thoughts that somehow result in a restaurant review. Last week, I learned from my editor that we got the green light to start doing them again, part of a larger push to get our food coverage
I was concerned, because she was always so prompt in her replies. The next morning, I found out what the issue was: She had been furloughed. And so had I. back near full capacity. Considering that only a year ago there were real questions as to whether or not the RFT would continue to exist, this was cause to celebrate. owever, it also raises serious questions about restaurant criticism during and (god willing) post-pandemic. Even if I hadn’t been furloughed last March, there
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was no way I could have done a traditional review. For starters, I had (and still have) serious ethical questions about whether or not it is appropriate to encourage the dining public to head out and about when doing so is fraught with risk. It’s a balance, for sure, that puts public health concerns at odds with the livelihoods of restaurant owners and employees. That restaurant employees have worked their tails off to figure out how to operate safely is the only way, in good conscience, I can encourage the public to enjoy their wares. For those who balk at safety protocols, it will be a very long time before I can comfortably recommend anyone patronizing their establishments. The other question that arises is whether or not it is ethical — even moral — to write a critical review while restaurants fight for their lives. Though a critic has a responsibility to a reader to give an accurate assessment of a place, it’s utterly tone-deaf to criticize someone for underseasoning
MARCH 3-9, 2021
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