The new Zagat is out for your dining pleasure
Last year when I wrote about the Zagat Washington, DC/Baltimore Restaurants 2009 restaurant guide, I said how impressed I was that local editor Marty Katz had gotten so many of the newest restaurants in.
This year even he couldn't keep up with the closings.
That means, for instance, that the now-gone Ixia and the Bicycle (No. 15 on the Most Popular list), are still included. On a happier note, the just-opened Hell Point Seafood in Annapolis, the Hill in Federal Hill and Talara, all very new, are in the 2010 book. ...
For whatever reason, this year's Top 40 Most Popular list is almost identical with last year's. (That wasn't true the year before.) You have to get down to No. 34, Lemongrass, before it changes, and that's only because last year's No. 34, Brasserie Tatin, closed. The top five are once again 1) Charleston, 2) Prime Rib, 3) Helmand, 4) Petit Louis Bistro, 5) Ruth's Chris.
The top food ratings went to Charleston and Sushi King, as they did last year. The top decor rating went to Scossa's, a northern Italian restaurant in Easton, as it did last year. And once again Charleston took top service honors.
Zagat is keeping up with the times. You can get the survey online at Zagat.com; through two mobile applications, Zagat to Go (for the iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm, and Windows Mobile) and nru (pronounced “near you” ), available for Android. Or, of course, you can buy the print edition for $14.95.
Comments
With the rise of user-based review sites like Yelp and 600block, I can't help but wonder if there's any impact on the demographics contributing to, and reading Zagat?
Posted by: El Generalissimo | July 23, 2009 8:33 AM
Speaking of Top Whatever lists, this is from the Baltimore Magazine's 2009 Readers Poll:
Best Blog
WINNER: Midnight Sun
SECOND: Dining @ Large
THIRD: Foodandwineblog.com
Best Columnist
WINNER: Dan Rodricks
SECOND: Kevin Cowherd
THIRD: Elizabeth Large
I hope this hasn't been posted elsewhere on here & I just missed it...
Posted by: sean | July 23, 2009 9:19 AM
Here's the link.
Posted by: sean | July 23, 2009 9:31 AM
Ugh.
http://www.baltimoremag.com/whowonit/readers_poll_results.asp
Posted by: sean | July 23, 2009 9:35 AM
Kevin Cowherd?! I guess if you like whining paranoia as a lame attempt at self-deprecating humor...
Posted by: flaquita | July 23, 2009 11:35 AM
That's quite an accomplishment considering EL is not a columnist, right?
Look at me, hanging out with the cool kids.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | July 23, 2009 11:51 AM
Rodricks? WTF.
Was voting the pool made up of the programming director at WYPR and Baltimore's ex-con population?
Posted by: Robert of Cross Keys | July 23, 2009 12:02 PM
Isn't it curious that all three are food and drink related? I've never heard of foodandwineblog.com
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | July 23, 2009 12:09 PM
I like Kevin Cowherd. He and Peter Schmuck are my favorite non-food columnists. They make me laugh.
Posted by: Eve | July 23, 2009 2:29 PM
I suppose 'populist' is the least derisive term I could use for the remainder of the selections?
Ra? Little Havana? Shudder.
Posted by: El Generalissimo | July 23, 2009 5:03 PM
Rodricks, the champion of the heroin dealer...
Posted by: billzappa | July 25, 2009 12:23 PM
Welp, after more than ten years, last night I was reminded why The Prime Rib is so popular when we went to celebrate my husband's birthday. The service was exceptional, the meal was WAY beyond exceptional, and except for being too loud for my dog ears as the room filled, it was a fabulous experience! We might go again for our anniversary dinner in October.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 26, 2009 2:26 PM
Anonymous--was that you, Dottie?
Posted by: Dahlink | July 26, 2009 3:59 PM
Dahlink, if you are correct, that's pretty impressive.
Posted by: Bucky | July 26, 2009 6:37 PM
Bucky, maybe I'm wrong, but I think Dottie is the only poster here who sometimes begins with "Welp" ...
Posted by: Dahlink | July 27, 2009 6:48 AM
I occasionally use "welp," but that wasn't me. I don't have a husband. Obviously.
Posted by: Lissa | July 27, 2009 6:55 AM
The use of welp as an identifier for a regular has me thinking. Obviously everyone has a particular writing style. I know I start way too many sentences with "well", "now" and "anyway". Well, anyway, I would be curious if we were to post ten random comments without the corresponding usernames, how easy would it be to match the comment with the writer.
Posted by: Robert of Cross Keys | July 27, 2009 8:25 AM
I'm too easy. Every time I accidentally become anonymous, at least 2 people know who I am.
Could be an amusing game, though.
Posted by: Lissa | July 27, 2009 8:48 AM
Indeed RoCK, that would be a splendid idea, rather like a game of tickle ghost or Fluffy Budgie. Ooooo... delightful.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 27, 2009 8:57 AM
Doesn't "Welp" come from the movie Dumb & Dumber? (No offsense to Dottie or Lissa.
But it was a line something about a 7-11 Big Gulp and Dumb (or maybe it was Dumber, I always get them confused) said, "Wellp..."
Posted by: Bucky | July 27, 2009 9:12 AM
I could swear I picked up "welp" in my childhood, but I could swear I remember the moon landing, too, and while I did watch it, I don't remember it.
Posted by: Lissa | July 27, 2009 10:11 AM