MIMI SHERATON FALCONE

SHERATON FALCONE-- Mimi. Mimi died on April 6 at the age of 97. Born Miriam Helene Solomon, she grew up in the Midwood section of Brooklyn with her beloved parents, Joseph Solomon and Beatrice (Breit) Solomon, her beloved younger brother Arthur M. Solomon, and a host of cousins who remained close throughout their lives as they pursued divergent paths to success. A 1943 graduate of Midwood High School, she eloped in 1954 with Richard A. Falcone, the man she described as "a hero for his time" in the obituary she wrote for him. Mimi carried on, but missed Dick every day. They made their rich and wonderful life together in Greenwich Village, where they raised their son, Marc Falcone. With Dick by her side always, she became the most prominent food and travel writer during her time, widely known, widely respected, and feared in certain quarters as The New York Times restaurant critic from 1976 to 1983. She was a journalist who always put her readers first; she kept her distance from the restaurant and food business and never jumped on any bandwagon. In Hype, Steven M.L. Aronson wrote, "her critical acid efficiently dissolves much of the hype we are often fraudulently force-fed about food." Over the course of her career, she wrote for many magazines and published 16 books about food and travel, including one, "The German Cookbook," that has remained in print for more than 50 years. Some of her other books include "From My Mother's Kitchen," a childhood memoir and collection of the recipes she grew up with in her mother's Brooklyn-Jewish kitchen, a book her mother offered her $50 not to write; "Is Salami and Eggs Better than Sex," with Alan King; "The Whole World Loves Chicken Soup," a collection of more than 100 recipes and chicken soup lore from around the world that earned one of Mimi's James Beard Foundation Awards; "The Bialy Eaters: The Story of a Bread and a Lost World; Eating My Words", a memoir; and "1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die." "The Seducer's Cookbook" was one of her favorites. A collection of recipes and advice for luring your dinner guest into bed, it was excerpted in Cosmopolitan Magazine by founding editor Helen Gurley Brown. Mimi was especially pleased whenever the quality of her writing received attention. In "Teacher Man," the author Frank McCourt describes how he used her New York Times restaurant reviews to teach writing to high school students, and promised them "I'm going to make Mimi Sheratons out of all of you." Mimi received honors from the James Beard Foundation, the Culinary Institute of America, and the Newswomen's Club of New York, and she was knighted (Cavaliere) by the Italian Republic. Mimi is deeply missed by Marc; Mimi's daughter-in-law, Caitlin Halligan; her granddaughter, Anna Falcone; her niece Elizabeth Hubbard; and many relatives, friends, and former colleagues. There will be a memorial service for Mimi on April 17, 2023 at 4pm at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, Madison Avenue at 81st Street. Mimi and Dick both loved Greenwich Village, their home for more than 60 years. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Mimi's memory to the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation. www.villagepreservation org/donate