Former Sun-Times Restaurant Critic Pat Bruno Has Died

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Oct 31, 2012 7:20PM

Pat Bruno, best known for his nearly 30 years reviewing restaurants for the Chicago Sun-Times, has passed away.

Mr. Bruno was the Sun-Times restaurant critic for 27 years before he was fired in Sept. 2011, a move Bruno said was "very, very unprofessional" on the Sun-Times' part. He wrote five cookbooks, once owned a cooking school and wrote a regular column for Pizza Today magazine, and was often considered an expert on pizza. But Mr. Bruno was an often polarizing figure in his final years at the Sun-Times, often criticized for his work ethic and his level of anonymity. In a time where the depth and scope of Chicago's restaurant scene has never been greater or high profile, Mr. Bruno didn't seem able to keep up.

Mr. Bruno revealed in an October 2011 Washington Post article he was battling glioblastoma multiforme since 2009, and aggressive and rare form of brain cancer that also killed Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel and veteran Chicago sportscaster Tim Weigel, as Bruno recalls in this Feb. 2012 Chicago Tonight interview.