Tejal Rao

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Tejal Rao
Born1982or1983(age 41–42)
London, United Kingdom
Education Emerson College (BA) [1]
Alma materEmerson College
Occupation(s)Restaurant critic, recipe developer
Employer(s) The Village Voice , New York Times , Bloomberg L.P.
Website www.tejalrao.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Tejal Rao (born 1982or1983) [2] is a restaurant critic, recipe developer and writer based in Los Angeles. [3] She is one of the two chief restaurant critics for The New York Times . [4] In 2018, she was named the first California restaurant critic for The New York Times. [3] In 2021, she was named editor of the New York Times subscription cooking newsletter The Veggie. [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Rao was born in London, but spent time in Kuwait, Sudan, and France during her youth before settling in Cobb County, Georgia as a teenager. [6] Rao's mother was born in Uganda and her father was raised in India.[ citation needed ]

Rao attended Emerson College, where she earned a BA in literature. [6]

Career

In 2012, Rao joined The Village Voice as a food critic. [7] In 2013, Rao won the James Beard Foundation’s Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award for her work for The Village Voice. [8]

In 2014, Rao joined Bloomberg as a food editor and restaurant critic. [9] In 2016, she won the James Beard Foundation’s Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award once again, this time for her work at Bloomberg. [10] In the same year, Rao joined The New York Times as a food department staff writer and monthly columnist for its magazine. [11] In 2018, she was named TheNew York Times' first California restaurant critic, to better serve the growing number of New York Times readers in the state. [3]

In 2021, Rao was named TheNew York Times writer for the vegetarian recipe newsletter The Veggie. [5] Although she is not a vegetarian, Rao enjoys cooking vegetarian food. [12]

In June 2025, The New York Times appointed Rao as one of its two new chief restaurant critics, marking a shift toward nationally focused restaurant coverage and ending the tradition of critic anonymity. [4]

Rao has also contributed to a range of other publications, such as The Atlantic, Edible, and Gourmet, among others. [6]

Personal life

In December 2020, she contracted COVID-19 and lost her sense of smell. She used smell therapy to regain it over the course of two months. [13] [14] She lives in Los Angeles. [15]

Awards and accolades

References

  1. ↑ "Astor Center - Wine and Food Experiences in New York City". www.astorcenternyc.com. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  2. ↑ Le, Vanna; Carlyle, Erin (December 17, 2012). "30 Under 30 - Food & Wine". Forbes. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Tejal Rao Named First California Restaurant Critic". The New York Times Company. August 10, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "The Times Has Appointed Two Chief Restaurant Critics. Here's How That Will Work". The New York Times. June 11, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Bahr, Sarah (August 19, 2021). "A Fresh Newsletter That's Not Just for Vegetarians". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Tejal Rao". Vilcek Foundation. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  7. ↑ Morabito, Greg (April 25, 2012). "Tejal Rao IN as New Village Voice Critic". Eater NY. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Complete List of 2013 JBF Award Winners | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Tejal Rao Named New Restaurant Critic at Bloomberg". Grub Street. August 11, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  10. 1 2 "The 2016 Beard Award Winners! | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Esteemed Critic Tejal Rao Joins the New York Times". Grub Street. May 23, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Tejal-Rao Interview". Moonbeam Kitchen. 2022. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023.
  13. ↑ "New York Times Restaurant Critic Tries To Regain Sense Of Smell After COVID-19". NPR. March 7, 2021.
  14. ↑ Michael Barbaro (March 23, 2021). "A Food Critic Loses Her Sense of Smell". The Daily (Podcast). The New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  15. ↑ Blum, Steven (February 13, 2019). "Hey, the New York Times Wrote a Piece About L.A. That Doesn't Offend Our Sensibilities". LAmag - Culture, Food, Fashion, News & Los Angeles. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Forbes 30 Under 30 - Food & Wine". www.forbes.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
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