PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Restaurant and travel critic Elmer Dills, whose radio and television reports spanned nearly three decades, has died. He was 82.
Dills died Monday at Pasadena's Huntington Memorial Hospital, according to Los Angeles television station KABC, where he dished out his reports on Southern California dining.
He developed his vast knowledge of food and wine as an officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. He entertained heads of state and other VIPs before leaving the diplomatic service after more than 20 years.
Dills then hosted a KABC radio talk show on dining and travel before becoming a KABC-TV regular reporting on area restaurants.
Dills also did travel features for the station with the late Fred Anderson, then partnered later with Ric Romero.
"Working with Elmer on all of those vacation getaways was some of the most fun I've had working in this business," Romero said.
Dills is survived by his wife Lynne and four grown children. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.
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