We've spent the week running this little Bite of Schramblish through highly sophisticated Eater translation software and all we can come up with is that there's a shake up in the works at the Times Dining section. Get your handy decoder rings out:
Maybe there is an allah after all. The batshit-crazy bane of my Dining existence has finally, finally been routed from her Aeron throne. To work for her, you had to be comfortable with either a stiletto in your neck or a knife in your back. Plus she knew as much about the food world, and journalism in general, as the Chimp does about nuclear science and disaster relief put together. Every closing was a cuss-fest; I could have done a memoir called, “Tuesdays With Hysteria.” The only mystery is what the tipping point was, although a not-so-unbiased observer pointed out that the paper has had a few more pressing personnel problems lately, including the Whitewater Crusader and more recently Ms. Chalabi.Anyone know more? Let's hear it. Anonymity assured, of course.The nut case’s replacement once ran the old Living section, so I guess we can look forward to more of the turgid features and musty bylines that have already started re-emerging. I’m not going to predict the Dining section could not get any worse, though, because somehow, every week for almost longer than I worked there now, they have managed to prove me Gravy Master wrong. But maybe I’ll be hearing fewer sob stories around town from freelancers about pieces being assigned and mysteriously withdrawn now that KK (as in Krazy Rhymes-With-Lunt) has been thrown to the news sharks.
· Bites: Maybe there is an Allah [Schrambling]
UPDATE: Both our step-brother once removed and Architect's Newspaper, here and here, respectively, have the details. Indeed, Barbara Graustark is being replaced by current Real Estate editor Trish Hall, who will, like Graustark did, oversee Style, House & Home and Dining.
