Frank Bruni Has Gout, Is 'Almost Happy'

Former Dining critic Frank Bruni shares that he was diagnosed with gout about four and a half months ago, in a lengthy piece over at The New York Times.

Bruni goes over what "gout" really is, and how that's affected his (formerly) mostly-meat diet. "I've become very, very chummy with the bread basket," he writes.

In fact, Bruni writes that despite his love for steak and foie gras, "There are times, crazily, when I'm almost happy about the gout... It provided a dietary shove where the gentle pushes of a vague desire for self-improvement hadn't sufficed. I always sort-of meant to kind-of get around to paring down the meat in my meals, and I always sort-of meant to kind-of get around to decreasing my drinking."

Then again, the entire piece is littered with delicious looking photos of meat.