How I pick the restaurants I review
Someone asked me recently how I pick the restaurants I review, and the question surprised me. It seemed so obvious.
But really, I guess it isn't. Of course, new restaurants come first because they are news. Those are what readers want to hear about, even if they aren't planning to eat there.
We've had so many places open in recent years, I almost don't have time to get back to old favorites to see how they're doing. I imagine in this economy that's going to change once the restaurants that are in the pipeline now open.
After the new places, I look to restaurants that have made major changes -- renovations, bringing in a new chef, overhauling the menu. ...
If there are none of those, I return to established restaurants, which I've been getting back to every five or six years. Sometimes I think people enjoy reading about these even more than new places.
It's all very different than when I started reviewing. The explosion of new restaurants in the last decade has been astounding. I've gotten spoiled.
I also try for diversity, both geographical and in type of cuisine, although if two new, important restaurants open at the same time in the same area, or two new Italian trattorias open in Little Italy, I have no hesitation in reviewing them one after another.
My biggest problem, and I've said this before, is figuring out how not to step on the toes of the Sun's other reviewers. New restaurants are getting more and more casual (and old restaurants are reinventing themselves to be so), so I often venture into what would once have been the cheap eats territory. Many of the new places are bars with food, which Midnight Sun Sam might also be reviewing. I've even snatched carryout places out of Rob Kasper's hands, just because they happen to have a few tables.
I'm starting to ask myself, "Where are the white-tablecloth restaurants of yesteryear?"
(Jed Kirschbaum/Sun photographer)
Comments
"Where are the white-tablecloth restaurants of yesteryear?"
The short answer is "gone," along with the great mass of people who used to dine there. To delve deeper you have to look at our changing lifestyle and the rise of "casual" as the mantra for work, play, relationships, and, yes, dining. There are those of us who still enjoy getting dressed up and going out for a nice dinner. But today's restaurants cannot survive on that and must cater to the rest of the public that wants good, trendy food in an upbeat, more casual environment.
Posted by: Retired in Elkridge | February 4, 2009 9:27 AM
* "You've got to love crowds to love Alonso's. You've got to love people watching you with hawk eyes, willing you to hurry up so they can have your table."
Joyce, didn't you 'fessed up to this very thing?
Posted by: Eve | February 4, 2009 1:09 PM
Time was when people dressed up to go on airplanes too.
Posted by: Come on now! | February 4, 2009 2:15 PM
Eve- sheepishly hanging head - yes. That would be me.
Posted by: Joyce W. | February 4, 2009 2:21 PM
Time was when people dressed up to go on airplanes too.
And baseball games, too.
Posted by: Bucky | February 4, 2009 2:42 PM
Bucky, that was when they had baseball games during the day. And flying had an air of exclusiveness (e.g., "the jet set"). The Engineering college I graduated from in the mid 60s required wearing a jacket and tie to class (equivalent for the few female students) because they were training you to be a Professional and dressing properly was part of that.
Posted by: Retired in Elkridge | February 4, 2009 6:00 PM
Wait a minute ... I thought we already addressed this issue. I remember typing a comment about how elizabeth spins a giant globe of baltimore with her eyes closed and randomly stops it with her left index finger.
Or was it something about throwing darts? Hmm ...
Either way, I'm terribly peeved about the way she's always snatching things from me. Terribly. Peeved.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | February 4, 2009 6:32 PM
Uh, it wasn't all that long ago that folks dressed up to go to the movies or a play. Nowadays folks consider jeans and T-shirts without holes dressed up. Makes me sad....
Posted by: Dottie | February 6, 2009 12:52 AM