Gael Greene, Detroit-born New York magazine restaurant critic and humanitarian, has died

One of the country's most well-known restaurant critics, author and humanitarian Gael Greene has died at age 88.

In addition to serving diners of New York City for decades with her critiques and observations on the city’s food scene for New York magazine, Detroit-born Greene also co-founded Citymeals on Wheels with her friend, culinary legend James Beard.

Greene was born and bred in Detroit, graduating from Central High School and the University of Michigan. She died Tuesday morning of natural causes, according to a rep from Citymeals.

The organization was born around 1981 after Greene read a New York Times article detailing the difficulty elderly residents of New York City had getting meals and the inadequate funding of the city’s Meals on Wheels program. Greene called up her friends in the industry and raised $35,000 in days to deliver holiday meals.

Since then, Citymeals has delivered 67 million privately-funded meals to homebound residents. Greene's work with the group earned her the 1992 James Beard Foundation's Humanitarian of the Year award.

Beth Shapiro, the executive director for Citymeals on Wheels, said Greene’s impact on New York City “cannot be measured.”

“She built tremendous influence as a food critic, at a time when fewer doors were open to women,” said Shapiro in a statement. “And she recognized the privileged life she was living as a foodie and sought to share that with others.”

"She was a fierce food critic and an even fiercer advocate for those who need a voice,” echoed chef Daniel Boulud, Citymeals board co-president. “Gael was dedicated to helping the homebound elderly retain their dignity and enjoy the comfort of their homes. She was a proud New Yorker and always put the community and the city first. Citymeals will continue to be inspired by her compassionate leadership.”

Known for being glamorous, with her signature, large hats, Greene was the restaurant critic at New York magazine from 1968, the year it debuted, until 2002. She wrote memorable articles like "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Ice Cream But Were Too Fat To Ask" and "The Mafia Guide to Dining Out," according to a bio on her website.

Her New York magazine pieces were often reprinted in The Detroit News in the 1980s and '90s, and she also appeared on Detroit television shows like "Kelly and Company." Her career as an author was also well-documented by her hometown paper.

Greene penned the nonfiction guide "Delicious Sex: A Book for Women and the Men Who Want to Love Them Better," the best-selling novels "Blue Skies, No Candy" and "Doctor Love" and the 2006 memoir "Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess."

Much of Greene's writing lives on via her website, insatiable-critic.com. It's home to vintage writings like travel columns, recipes, an archive of her "Fork Play" newsletter and a 1963 piece in the Saturday Evening Post titled "A Vote Against Motherhood," where she boldly made her case for choosing to not have children.

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybaetens