Professional vs. Amateur Restaurant Critics

[beachdrivegirl]

Jiggers I am glad to hear that you can hold your own! With a few in this crowd it can be tough!! It is funny that as we all get older how are eating/spending habits do change. I know that although I am more financially independent @ this older age, I used to dine out alot more… I will be keeping my eyes out though for your grand reviews!!

Also, FYI, I love your pic there. Too true!

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[villagegreen]

I know I’m late getting in on this one, but I’ll say that I usually trust a professional food critic’s review of a restaurant over an amateur/neighbor/blogger’s opinion.

A lot of this probably has to do with the way the critic presents his/her argument. A lot of rants aren’t very specific to the menu items themselves and go off on trangents, creating a generalized feeling of disappointment. Whereas most critic reviews are very detailed in their analysis of the food and the balance/interplay of flavors.

It is also true that most reviewers will try a restaurant several times before printing a review and a they try to sample a wide variety of menu items.

I do trust friends’ reviews if I know their taste well. However, on a blog it’s pretty difficult to get a sense for what type of palette someone has unless they’ve written reviews on numerous different restaurants.

For example, here’s a short list of places many people on this blog seem to love, but I just don’t seem to get: Puerto Vallarta Mexican, Charlestown Cafe, Celtic Swell, Spiro’s, Garlic Jim’s, Olympia Pizza, etc.

Not to say someone shouldn’t like these places, but I doubt you’d find a professional critic that would give any of them a great review.

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[JoB]

villagegreen…

LOL.. one day we may have to trade lists of the places people go that we just don’t get:) I am with you on most of your list, but i am afraid my personal list would include several not on that list that got really good reviews…

it is all in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it.

i tend to put more stock in the reviews of posters who agree with my personal tastes than those who don’t… experience following their recommendations teaches you who you listen to and who you don’t.. just like in real life.

i admit to cringing when i hear the restaurant choices of some family members and friends .. unless our personal tastes are the same.. what they think will impress often doesn’t.

Not all restaurant critics are created alike.

I will often try those listed under cheap eats or ethnic eateries… but seldom the new and trendy.

I trust the palates of both equally.. but know that i am more likely to walk away from one feeling satisfied than the other.

Now, maybe i am just cheap..

but the best meal of my life was an incredible splurge at the time… and still we walked away feeling we got incredible value for our money.

We went back often… and had a great meal every time… James Beard used to make an effort to eat there…

unfortunately.. after 30+ years, they closed. I don’t know why..

I look for someplace that either serves something new that i have not tried before or something i can’t prepare or something it is far too much trouble for me to prepare…

and some days i just look for good food, convenience, good service and a good time…

Some amazingly humble places fit most of those criteria…

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