‘Food and Country’ Review: Ruth Reichl Doc About Food Systems Is Earnest, Captivating and Overstuffed

Sundance 2023: There’s an entire TV series’ worth of material to chew on within filmmaker Laura Gabbert’s documentary

Food and Country
Sundance Institute

Ruth Reichl has so much to tell us about food. She’s been a chef, a restaurant owner, and a critic. She’s edited Gourmet magazine, written bestselling memoirs and cookbooks, and hosted a show on gastronomy. And now, she wants to teach us about the failings of the American food system itself.

“Food and Country” begins in March 2020; Reichl’s impetus is the pandemic onset that ruthlessly exposes the shaky foundations beneath most restaurants. Serving as producer behind the scenes and on-camera interviewer, Reichl Zooms with chefs, restaurateurs, farmers and ranchers across the country, beginning with her longtime friend and farm-to-table pioneer Alice Waters.

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