Sunday, November 6, 2011

Me . . . a Restaurant Critic? Really? Pffttth.

Last night my husband and I had dinner with my friend Rosemary and her beau Scott at a tony restaurant in the Uptown section of Dallas. The food was delicious and the ambience was chic with a trendy vibe. An integral component of the dining experience was the service we received from our waiter, which was slightly above average. He went out of his way to engage us in conversation, spoke to us briefly about the evening’s specials and even made drink suggestions when it seemed we were headed down the wrong path of imbibing.

These are my personal observations and interpretations of this restaurant. And this is what I do. I experience the entirety. What I don’t do, however, is call myself a restaurant critic.

During dinner, Scott posed a question to me: “If you don’t call yourself a restaurant critic, then what are you?”

After explaining to him exactly what I do, he followed up his question with what I found to be a very curious statement. “Then you need to define what it is you do…what you call yourself.”

This was not something that I had to think long and hard about. I know what I do. I responded, “I’m a food writer.”

Like most people, Scott believed a food critic and food writer to be wholly synonymous. I couldn’t disagree more. In short, a critic scrutinizes and rates. As a food writer, I relate my overall dining experience sans ratings. My impressions, if you will.

A food or restaurant critic usually employs a rating system of some sort. One to four stars, smiley faces or, in the case of my early blog posts and then-reviews, one to five forks. I have since abandoned the practice of ratings for one primary and crucial reason: It’s extremely subjective and not entirely reliable.

On a secondary note, restaurant ratings can have an adverse effect on not only an establishment’s credibility but a proprietor’s livelihood. All it takes is for a handful of people to see that Chez Blah-Blah restaurant has received one lousy star and word could spread like wildfire (because, as humans, we can be influenced by the silliest of things). Pretty soon, folks stop walking through the doors of Chez Blah-Blah, business falls off and, finally, they have to close their doors. Do I want that much responsibility? Hell no. I just want to write about food.

I write about my impressions and overall experience when dining out. Good or bad, it is what it is. I have never held myself out to be a food critic.

Do I make multiple visits to a restaurant before writing a review? Generally, no. As a freelance writer, I’m working from my own personal budget, not that of a major publication that reimburses me for every meal. Unfortunately, the luxury of spending money hand over fist at the same restaurant on two or three separate occasions before I say in print “I like this place” or, conversely “I don’t like this place” isn’t a necessity. Once again, I write based on my impressions of a restaurant at that present time—in the moment—and usually the need for multiple visits isn’t necessary. This holds true particularly when, for one reason or another, the restaurant didn’t offer an enjoyable experience. Honestly, why go back time and time again to someplace if I find a) the food distasteful; b) the staff rude; or c) the price point out of synch with the value of the experience? That would be akin to revisiting the same doctor who botched up your heart transplant surgery by removing your liver instead.

"Many food critics pursue professional experience in the world of food, attending culinary schools, working in restaurants, participating in farming, and so forth, so that they can learn about every aspect of the food industry. A good food critic is extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of food, from how certain foods are harvested to the historoy of various dishes. Food critics also have very well-developed palates, and they may specialize in a particular area, such as traditional French cuisine, fusion cuisine, or so forth."

(Quoted from www.wisegeek.com article, ‘What Is a Food Critic?’)

As a humble food writer, I have not amassed this type of experience. And this is not a put down of myself. I love me and just won’t stand for such nonsense. So what qualifies me to write about food, you ask? Simply put, I love food. I love everything about it:
  • the enticing aromas that tickle my nostrils;
  • the aesthetic beauty that has me eating with my eyes long before a morsel reaches my mouth;
  • the enthralling flavors that play on my taste buds;
  • the many and varied textures the be felt with the hands and mouth; and
  • the medley of sounds that food can make, from the sizzling of fajita meat on a hot skillet to the crackly crunch of the well-seasoned skin of a duck breast.
I adore it all.

It is for all these reasons and more that I choose to write about food. So call me what you will: food writer, culinary writer, food impressionist. But please don’t call me a critic because that’s not who I am. I’m proud to call myself a food writer. Maybe one day I’ll rise to the ranks of food critic. But until that time, I’ll continue to assault the world with my humble impressions of restaurants hither and yon. After all, it’s not such a bad gig. The only major downfall is my ever-expanding waistline.

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