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Post and Courier critic Hanna Raskin summons the battle cry of the reality show rabble-rouser and declares, "I'm here to do a job. I'm not here to make friends," while talking with City Paper editor Kinsey Gidick. Raskin is speaking of her strict avoidance of attending media events, accepting free food, or socializing with publicists. Raskin has become somewhat of a polarizing figure in the food community — many restaurateurs deem her reviews brash, while readers look to her for candid writing on local dining. Gidick gets to the bottom of "Who is Hanna Raskin?"
In the interview, she discovers how Raskin came to journalism, her plans to stay in Charleston (despite her husband living on the West Coast), and her steadfast adherence to the Association of Food Journalists code of ethics. Remember when she refused the offer of free short ribs? Yeah, she's serious about that one.
Gidick concludes with:
... if she can pull it off and craft a hermit-like existence only emerging for food and deadlines, then by God, we'll read her because we guarantee she'll serve up three things: tough questions, disagreement, and ultimately increased newspaper readership.
