I was reading about the restaurant reviewer for the NY Times, Pete Wells, in The New Yorker (check it out if you haven't seen it).
According to the piece, before he writes a review he goes to a restaurant at least three times.
While it makes sense to give you a broader overview of the restaurant, does it work that way in real life?
No.
Maybe.
It depends.
Here's why:
Pete Wells or his counterparts can be recognized.
And a chef friend told me that it's pretty common for a restaurant that gets a good write-up from a prestigious paper to fire the chef and the team that got them the four stars since they think they can now live off that review.
“You only get one shot to make a first impression.”
If you like a place, you’ll go back even if it’s far away or a big splurge.
You’ll always tell your friends.
In glowing dish-by-dish descriptions.
You might post it on Instagram.
If the restaurant isn’t up to expectations, you’ll go once and cross it off your list forever.
You’ll always tell your friends. You'll tell anyone who will listen.
In glowering dish-by-dish descriptions.
You won’t post it on Instagram. You might post it on Yelp.
Do any regular diners go back another two times?
Don’t think so.
Hey, our dinners aren’t being paid for by the NY Times, so we’re going to be pickier about how we spend our money.
Even when we’ve spoken to management (or they’ve seen the Yelp review) and been invited back so they can “make it up to us” we have never taken them up on the offer.
Prime example: Frank and I went to celebrate our anniversary. Friends had raved about the Red Onion in Saugerties and we decided to forgo our favorite, Les Baux.
Mistake.
Big mistake.
It started when I got out of the car and stepped in a mud puddle.
The rack of lamb (a house specialty we were told) was overcooked and under seasoned.
Peas straight out of a big plastic bag.
A mountain of mashed potatoes that could have come from a box.
Two hockey pucks that were reputed to be onions.
Even if it wasn’t a 45-minute drive (in each direction), we won’t be back.
Sometimes it’s nice to have a blog where you can vent.
What’s been your most disappointing meal?
