Bio
Gael Greene (born 1935) is an American food critic who served as New York magazine's "Insatiable Critic" for more than 30 years, famously going to great lengths to conceal her identity from restaurateurs.
She was also a judge on the first two seasons of the reality competition television series Top Chef Masters, from 2009-2010.
A best-selling author, Greene has written Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Ice Cream But Were Too Fat To Ask, The Mafia Guide to Dining Out and Nobody Knows the Truffles I've Seen.
Her image was the mysterious woman with the hat covering her eyes. She still has a weakness for hats but now her column BITE is found on InsatableCritic.com.
Greene often documents her global travels with photographs by the professional street photographer, Steven Richter. Their work has appeared in magazines that include Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, Diversions, Diversions, Departures and Food Arts.
She co-founded Citymeals-on-Wheels with James Beard in 1981 and remains a continuing force serving as board chair. Greene has made a significant impact on the city of New York through her work with the organization, rallying food world peers to make a commitment to help feed the city's homebound elderly.
Citymeals, the largest public/private partnership in the country, has raised over $220-million in its 28-year history to help feed the city's frail, elderly shut-ins.
For her work with Citymeals, Greene has received numerous awards and was honoured as the Humanitarian of the Year (l992) by the James Beard Foundation. She is the winner of the International Association of Cooking Professionals magazine writing award, 2000, and received a Silver Spoon from Food Arts magazine.
Greene's memoir, Insatiable, Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess, was published in April 2006. Earlier non-fiction books include Delicious Sex, A Gourmet Guide for Women and the Men Who Want to Love Them Better and BITE: A New York Restaurant Strategy.
Her two novels, Blue Skies, No Candy and Doctor Love were New York Times best-sellers.