L.A. Times restaurant critic Bill Addison unveils himself

Dec. 9, 2025 3 AM PT

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Anonymity in reviews has a lingering mystique from an era when tiny cameras were fantastical Bond gadgets, writes Times critic Bill Addison. Anonymity was a kind of armor. Removing it feels lighter, but far more vulnerable. Unveiling my face won’t change how I go about the business of reviewing. The Times pays for all my meals.

Bill Addison is the restaurant critic of the Los Angeles Times. He is recipient of the 2023 Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award from the James Beard Foundation, among numerous other accolades. Addison was previously national critic for Eater and held food critic positions at the San Francisco Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News and Atlanta magazine.

Mark E. Potts is the senior editor for video at the Los Angeles Times. A native of Enid, Okla., Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. He has created and edited video for DreamWorks, YouTube, Microsoft, Sony and BET.