National restaurant critic Chris Nuttall-Smith puts down his fork and reveals himself

Chris Nuttall-Smith has eaten his way through Toronto's restaurant scenebut now thefeast is over and he can reveal his face to the world.

The Globe and Mail's national restaurantcritic has been going undercover since 2012 toreview the city's eateries for that newspaper. His last review, however,waspublished Saturday.

But before that column went to print, Nuttal-Smith had one last tidbit of business to do:finally show the face behind the byline. And he did just that Friday on CBC'sMetro Morningwith host Matt Galloway in an interview that was streamed on Facebook Live so viewers could see the real Chris Nuttall-Smith.

"It'll be a little strange to walk into a restaurant and not only to be recognized but for people to let on that they recognize me," he said.

He said there have been few photos of him online since he began reviewing restaurants for Toronto Life a decade ago. Oddly enough, one ofthe photos that pops up when you searchhis name is actually that of authorDavidBezmozgis.

"So, I hopehe's gotten really good service [in restaurants] over the last few years," Nuttall-Smith joked.

'One of the great food capitals on earth'

I'm really happy to leave some of that pressure behind to be honest.Restaurant critic Chris Nuttall-Smith

He's observed the city's food scene evolve throughout the years, but told Galloway that the biggest change he's noticed has been watching the culinary borders dissolve.

"People used to go to the suburbs for suburban food and they used to come downtown for urban food," he said. "It was steak frites and pizza versus biryani and regional Chinese.

"That's over."

Nuttall-Smith says the city became as multicultural in its food choices"as we are as people. Making us one of the great food capitals on earth."

The gourmand'sreviews have sometimes made restaurantswhile at other timeshiscolumns been blamed forclosing them.

It's a part of a job that's been stressful and he sayshe's happy "to leave some of that pressure behind."

Nuttall-Smith said he neverrevelled in thepower he held over businesses, instead making sure he did hisdue diligence.

"It's not like you just go to a restaurant once. You go two, three times and, some cases, four times. You're bringing as much knowledge, as much history to bear, and you're talking to the restaurateur as well. So critic is part of it but you're also a reporter."

Say cheese

Keeping his identity a secret hasn't been that difficultfor Nuttall-Smithbecause, he says, he's a "funny looking guy" and few people have taken his picture. There has, however,been the oddphotoof him circulating on the web.

"I called people and said, 'Can you take that photo of me down?''' he said. "The Momofukuchain took my picture with their hidden camera. It's a part of the job. It happens to everybody.

"One critic I know says when he walks into a restaurant there's a red laser beam on his head."

But now, the bespectacled, fit and youthful-looking critic will be in front of the cameras, instead of trying to avoid them. Hesays he's working on a television show about food, though he wouldn't divulge details.

As for his favourite spots in the city? He says for special occasions nothing beats Edulis.

"They do such an incredible jobconstantly strivingand they can stand up to any place in the world."

But he'squick to mention the little places as well, like One2 Snacksin Scarborough.

He'll miss "having such a unique and amazing vantage point on the economy, the sociology, the demography, the geography of the city," he said."Restaurants say so much about a place. Going in, finding stuff that's amazing and really being able to enthuse about it."