Craig Claiborne was an American restaurant critic, food journalist and book author. A long-time food editor and restaurant critic for The New York Times, he was also the author of numerous cookbooks and an autobiography. Over the course of his career, he made many contributions to gastronomy and food writing in the United States.

A food critic, food writer, or restaurant critic is a writer who analyzes food or restaurants and then publishes the results of their findings to the public. Although these terms are not strictly synonymous, they are often used interchangeably. In some circumstances, at least. Those who share their opinions via food columns in newspapers and magazines are known as food columnists. They are often experts in the field.