Gene's Open Road

GENE BOURG

Food Critic & Restaurant Reviewer
The Times-Picayune

LEADER INFO:

INTERESTS:

Food Journalism Writing

THEMES DISCUSSED:

Confidence Focus Passion Pressure Success Talent

TAGS:

advantage, Berlin wall, change, draft, restaurants, war, you can turn back

BIOGRAPHY:

When the Berlin Wall went up in 1961, Gene Bourg found himself being drafted into the army, leaving his home in Louisiana for service in France. He had no idea that those few years in France would teach him epicurean skills that would last a lifetime. Though food had always been big part of his life, Gene also knew he had a particular aptitude for writing, so after returning from France, he took a job working for a local newspaper but he quickly realized that he was unhappy with the monotony of that particular job. Frustrated with his job, Gene expressed interested in filling the Restaurant Reviewer position at his newspaper. After turning in a few samples to his editor, he was given the job and began reviewing restaurants—fusing his passions of writing and food. Since then, Gene Bourg has established himself as one of America's premier food critics, having contributed to such publications as Saveur and The New Orleans Times Picayune. And though he's been reviewing for decades now, his passion for the job has endured: "I'm sure there are millions like me, who start a job and find that it's a perfect fit. It's just the greatest feeling you can possibly get."