Local food critics (not yours truly) will be on Open Line tomorrow morning on 820 AM. Count the Rigsby references.
It came up recently at work how most of the reviews in Columbus publications are either fine or good; you rarely see a really bad review. I think it was John Champlin from Columbus Monthly who recently said if he went somewhere that was just really terrible, they would just not review it. I agree with this to a point (and he might have made the point, but since I can't remember the entire context, I am pretty sure it was on Open Line on 820).
I recently went to a Thai restaurant on the Southeast side. I grew up just north of Dublin, so I am not that familiar with the East/Southeast side, because it would have meant an hour drive for me growing up. Nonetheless, I thought I should venture out of my comfort zone and take I70 towards Wheeling for a change. This restaurant came highly recommended but I didn't really like it. Certain things about it were good - the coconut curry broth was good, but the beef was just sub-standard beef. I was dining solo, and there weren't really any small plates to try, and I didn't feel that my one bad dish was enough upon which to base a review, so I just decided not to write about it.
However, I felt no qualms giving Handke's a C last year because they are touted as one of the best restaurants in the city, and Chef Handke is always winning these international chef competitions and everything, and he's Columbus' only certified Master Chef, and all the other critics are busy kissing his derriere, and I would expect more.
Which brings me to my second point. There are no objective paid reviews in Columbus, because there are no incognito restaurant reviewers in Columbus. Believe me because I work at one of the "Top 20" restaurants in Columbus, and we know who they all are. There is a flurry of activity every time one of them enters the restaurants. They get free food, they get the best - and largest - cuts of meat, they usually get one server assigned to them; so, if they say the service was bad, then you can count on that at least. And, no matter what they say in their credos, they usually give the chef a heads up they are coming in.
One local restaurant reviewer even has sample bottles of wine delivered to his house. This is (I believe, as he does not have a liquor license to sell the wine) illegal and, I shouldn't even have to point out, unethical. The former reviewer for the Dispatch, Doral Chenoweth, aka the Grumpy Gourmet, had a strict policy against receiving anything free, and I respect him for that. If you follow the link and read the entire post, you will notice how the Grump recalls calling wine distributors with demands to reclaim cases of wine they had dropped off. It makes me sad that we now have a reviewer in the city who calls distributors and asks for various wines to be delivered privately.
There are certain restaurants about which I couldn't be fair enough for a review, such as Alana's. I used to work for her, and consider her a friend, and because we have been dining there so long, I try to only chronicle my experiences there, versus actually critique anything (in writing, that is).
There are many restaurants and products which I don't care for, believe me. However, I don't always see the value in letting everyone know my opinions (listen, and you can hear my coworkers roaring with laughter). Not that I have the readership of the Columbus Dispatch by any stretch, but I'm not in a position at this time where I feel I can blast someone's hard work, especially if they are a small business or a start-up.
I have no problem deconstructing those who tout themselves as "the best, " and then consistently fail to live up to that. Rigsby's is a perfect example of a restaurant which is constantly receiving rave reviews from Columbus reviewers (remember - they are all well-known to the chef and staff) yet I have had numerous mediocre-at-best experiences there. My perceptions might also be tainted by the fact that I am paying for everything I consume, and not a newspaper or magazine. It is really difficult for me to spend $150 on dinner for two and just think everything is "okay."
I loved Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires, because she put a lot of effort into seeing how restaurants treated her differently when she was Ruth Reichl, compared with how she was treated when she became some ignorant loud woman in New York on vacation. I feel like I have a good grasp on what the average person gets when they go to any given restaurant. I'm not cheap, I'm nice, I can (usually) choose a bottle of wine with some intelligence, and above all, I'm average. Average looking, making the average amount of money, although I can be accused of wearing the same jeans/tee shirt/cardigan ensemble every day (in rotating colors). That being said, I have been in the restaurant industry since age 15, and have an above-average understanding of its workings.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, no matter how many "legitimate" food magazines try to downplay the importance of food blogs, I think they are quickly becoming the go-to guide for the average person. Well, I think my readers are above-average. Not everyone wants to hear how the well-known food critic's experience was, because it isn't real. It's not the same experience you are going to have, I promise you as an industry insider.
Here are just a few of my guidelines - whenever possible, I try to visit a restaurant twice and eat as many things as possible. Sometimes, this just isn't feasible because, remember, I am paying for it. For example, our dinner at Handke's was somewhere around $400. I just can't do that twice in a short amount of time. I am discreet when taking photos and would never tell a server I was reviewing (that's just tacky). I try not to take notes except if I am somewhere very ethnic and I don't know the language (Jai Yun comes to mind.) I am completely unknown in most restaurants, so I make the reservations in my name. Every once in awhile, I do get a free appetizer, drink or bottle of wine, mainly because Husband and I have been working in restaurants in Central Ohio for years and we know a few bartenders, but I would always make that known in the review. If I ever receive any free wine, it is because Husband is in charge of a wine list, does work in an establishment which holds a liquor license, and might offer some of it to me to get my average person opinion.
One last point - I would like to thank everyone who donates through "Tip Jar" and buys from Amazon.com through my website (I receive a small percentage of the purchase). That money goes directly into making this website better and giving more restaurant reviews, something I know everyone wants.
Thanks for reading and for your continued support; I am always open to suggestions, and you can leave comments or e-mail me through the link provided in the upper left corner of my site.