When Jessica Tom was researching her new book, “Food Whore” (William Morrow), she forced herself to do some grueling research: dining at the city’s top restaurants.
“I ate out a lot to get in the mood of these places,” says the first-time, 31-year-old author, who indulged in culinary extravaganzas at Eleven Madison Park, which appears in her novel as the fictional Madison Park Tavern.
In Tom’s tome — being hailed as “‘The Devil Wears Prada’ goes gourmet” — a famous food critic loses his sense of taste and taps a young grad student/coat-check girl to ghostwrite his reviews.
Tom, who wrote a restaurant review column at Yale University and has done everything from working at dating Web site How About We to launching a collection of dolls sold exclusively at FAO Schwarz, has always been fascinated by the city’s food scene.
“It’s kind of how a lot of people follow sports. People really follow what restaurants are opening and closing, what shops are moving where, what the pop-up is, can you get into this place that only has 12 seats and is open twice a year,” she says.
“I think it’s interesting as a cultural phenomenon because food has become such social currency. You either buy into it or you don’t.”
One real-life foodie inspiration for the novelist came when haute restaurant Daniel was downgraded from 4 stars to 3.
“It’s this huge thing, and all of the blogs jump in on it,” says Tom. “It’s not just about the reviewers anymore … it’s about the Instagrammers and Yelpers — and they are just as loud, if not more influential.”
While Tom, who lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and started writing “Food Whore” in 2009, admits that the city’s restaurant obsession is “a little cultish,” food will always be her muse. “I think that’s going to be a constant throughout my future work.”
Just don’t expect her to start professionally crit-iquing New York’s eateries any time soon.
“I don’t consider myself a critic. I appreciate the art, really,” she says. “I think I identify more with the chef than the critic.”
