Why am I doing this?

A note about my reviews. I have, for my entire adult life, been the person people call when they have the question "where's the best place for..." Maybe it's because they know I'm passionate about food, perhaps it's because I go out far more than I should, or it might be because I have wildly-variable tastes. My goal is to pass this experience to a broader audience so they can find the little places that I treasure and avoid some disappointments. You will see that most of my reviews are positive, but from time-to-time, I might need to get harsh.

I've thought about my rating scale for some time and have decided to be consistent across all platforms, my blog, Google, Open Table, Yelp, etc...; this will make it easier for my readers to interpret my opinions. What makes it hard, is that I'll review a food truck at a construction site as readily as a fine dining establishment. Accordingly, I've decided on a contextual scale. Think of it like this: if table debris is not removed immediately at a roadside taco stand, forgivable; if the same happens at a $200+ restaurant, different story. I'm a snob, absolutely and I think that will serve you well as a reader. That said my expectations are commensurate with the venue.

I hope this blog is fun and useful to you. Please, if you think I've made a mistake, I hope let me know!

My Ranking Criteria

★★★★★

The best I have ever had in a category. Game-changing, and revelatory. These are the casual places I go to as often as I can or the elite places I know I'll never forget. 5-star establishments go from the fine dining restaurant from which you frame the menu to the phô shop that you drive miles out of your way to reach when there's a good place a block away.

★★★★

A reliable establishment that you look forward to sharing with your friends and family. You would never hesitate to recommend or go back to these fine establishments.

★★★

Most places fall into this category. You'd go back, You'd recommend it based on geography or convenience but with caveats: "it's good but overpriced," "it's not bad but if you're willing to go out of your way this place is much better," and so forth. In my estimation, a lot of fine-dining establishments land here because one element misses the mark.

★★

Good in a pinch, but essentially a wasted meal. Survival food at best.

★

Avoid, even if someone else is paying.