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How Keith Lee, a TikTok food critic for the new economy, guides us to eat well – and good

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How Keith Lee, a TikTok food critic for the new economy, guides us to eat well – and good

Lee has a critic's ethos, just like the late Roger Ebert and the misunderstood Anton Ego from "Ratatouille"

Published November 1, 2023 12:02PM (EDT)

To hear some Atlantans talk about Keith Lee’s recent visit, you would think he burned the city’s restaurant scene to the ground. The TikTok creator embarked on a recent culinary tour of Georgia’s cultural mecca, hitting lesser-known joints along with higher profile places like Old Lady Gang, partly owned by “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kandi Burruss.

Since Lee primarily focuses on small businesses, many of them Black-owned, he might not have visited Burruss’ place if not for the insistence of someone imploring him to swing by. That’s what Lee did, employing his usual secret shopper-style methods.

Every few years . . . a prominent publication shares a deep-dive analysis of the critic’s role.

Lee rarely dines in-person at the places he reviews because most of the places he highlights are independently owned takeout joints that are rarely, if ever, reviewed by major newspapers or magazines or epicurean-focused sites like Eater. Most don’t have a connection in the culinary world – i.e. they aren’t the so-called “secret” place where a notable chef, writer, or other celebrity eats. They’re spots opened by ordinary people who are confident cooks but lack a promotional budget and therefore, a steady clientele.

Old Lady Gang doesn’t suffer from this problem, as Lee discovered when he sent his family into the restaurant while he waited curbside. Under normal circumstances, they would bring food to his car, where he films many of his “taste tests.” This time they were informed that the restaurant didn’t fill takeout orders on weekends and worse, there was an hour-plus wait to be seated. Upon hearing this, Lee walked into the place to see if he would be treated any........

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