Seattle Weekly Restaurant Critic Jason Sheehan is Leaving

Sheehan's 2009 memoir, Cooking DIrty.

"My reasons are personal, family-related and interesting to no one but those involved," he writes. "But suffice it to say that, had things worked out differently, I would've been staying in place for a good, long time."

Sheehan, who took over when Jonathan Kauffman got bumped up to San Francisco Weekly, is an engaging (James Beard Award-winning) writer who knows a lot about food thanks to years spent in various no-frills kitchens. However you wouldn't always get this from his reviews, which don't usually get around to the food or other relevant restaurant details for a good six or seven paragraphs. They have become infamous among the city's food nerds...though we won't dwell on this since he's clearly going through some significant family stuff right now.

Sheehan closes his post by saying he's going home, presumably to his hometown of Rochester. In his farewell he even thanks all the haters, which he took on with a better humor than most writers would.

Sir, we here at Seattlest delighted in mocking the Sheehanisms of your reviews, but we also appreciated the good points you can make when you do finally get around to the food. God speed and good luck.