Sam Sifton

Sam Sifton is the restaurant critic of The New York Times. Before becoming critic, Mr. Sifton was the newspaper’s culture editor, a position he held from 2005 until 2009. He joined The Times in 2002 as deputy Dining editor, and became Dining editor later that year. In 2004 he was named deputy culture editor.

Before joining The Times, Mr. Sifton was a senior writer and editor at Talk magazine where he worked from 1995 to 1998.  He also worked as a critic, reporter and managing editor of the New York Press, an alternative weekly based in Manhattan.  Before joining the New York Press, Mr. Sifton taught social studies in New York City public schools from 1990 until 1994.  He was also an assistant editor at American Heritage from 1988 until 1990.  

Mr. Sifton graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College with an A.B. degree in history and literature in 1988.  He is the author of “Field Guide to the Yettie: Stalking the Dot-Com Geek” (Talk Miramax Books, 2000), a satirical guide to the new economy.

He is married to Tina Fallon, an independent theater producer. They have two daughters.