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I am a big fan of the SF Chronicle's Michael Bauer's blog, Between Meals, and have mentioned issues that he has brought up before. His post yesterday was particularly interesting though, bringing up the issue of whether food critics should somehow be licensed, after a commenter mentioned that there was a lack of standards in the industry. Such a task, however, might be nearly impossible. Would "taste" be judged? Writing ability? Tests could be implemented in all industries, but the reality of working is that the best way to get good at something is to do it - over and over again. Writers have to write and chefs have to cook. Critics have to learn how to convey the unique experience of dining at a restaurant to their readers because chefs do not all use identical recipes and there is no one "right" way to make a marinara sauce.
As Bauer rightly points out, "Good chefs rise to the top, and good critics develop a following." A good critic's readers can trust what they write and use their recommendation as a means to decide when to try (or not to try) a restaurant. Of the skills a critic needs - ability, knowledge and passion - only one can be taught or tested, while the others come naturally and over time.
The standards of taste are not hard and fast rules and people look to critics to create a baseline, a jumping off point from which they can form their own judgments. The only hard and fast rules I want to see are the ones that the health department enforces.
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6-27-2006 @10:20AM Vanessa said... each newspaper, publication or what-have-you in any city often writes from a different perspective, policital viewpoint, opinion, etc. the general public knowing this, will only select certain publications to read. i don't particularly see how different this is in terms of food critics. some like really bold flavours with high marks for innovation, but even the concept of innovation can be rather arbitrary. it's just a matter of finding a critic that jives with your personal taste.
i prefer someone who is blantantly honest with little flowery language so that i understand what the food contains and take their words with a grain of salt.
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6-27-2006 @10:52AM T. Allen said... Critiquing, by nature, is a subjective exercise. Opinions are based on individual likes and dislikes, which not everyone shares in equal amounts. What I like to see in a review is how the wait staff treats customers, how the food is presented, and whether it seems like a fair value for the money. I also want to know if the restaurant is "family friendly", or caters to adult diners. Is the wine list good, does the food reach the table steaming hot? What kind of menu is available, what are the hours of operation,
and if I go at a certain time, do I need to make reservations? These are important points that many food critics never address.
I will make my own decisions about the food, thank you.
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6-27-2006 @11:18AM S. Lewis said... I guess people forget that a restaurant critic is a journalist, who happens to write about food. In most larger newspapers, they have an editor that checks over their review and fact checkers that make sure the restaurant address and times open are correct. So, what needs to be standardized? It's a review - a personal observation of (usually) many visits to a restaurant.
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6-27-2006 @11:40PM Allison said... The one thing that I wish more reviewers did was to keep their identity secret so that they could visit a restaurant like a "normal" person and not receive special treatment. It's not helpful to me, the reader, to hear how a celebrity critic is treated since it's not going to be representative of what an ordinary person's visit to the restaurant will be like.
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7-04-2006 @1:09PM Charlotte said... Standardize an opinion? Perhaps a license required to tell the guy next to me that this burger is overpriced? Regulating an opinion based industry or hobby sounds like those considering themselves the industry's elite are a bit worried someone might just discover that all they do for a living is say if they liked what they ate.
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