Restaurant critics club baby seals and cheat on their taxes

I went to a lecture last night, a conversation between Andy Huse, Richard Gonzmart and Gary Mormino about the recent release of Huse’s exciting new book, The Columbia Restaurant: Celebrating a Century of History, Culture, and Cuisine. An entertaining and educational evening for the most part, although a brief chronology up front might have helped the audience—the discussion jumped around in time, with lots of names to keep track of.

Near the end of the evening, Huse lamented the passing of some of the area’s great and historic restaurants, Valencia Garden, the Seabreeze, etc. He blamed restaurant critics for their demise, saying that critics are preoccupied with “new restaurants that will only be open for six months.”

It got me thinking about my culpability in the lifecycle of restaurants. First, what exactly is my job? As I see it, my job is to bring readers’ attention to worthwhile restaurants they didn’t know about, to steer them clear of restaurants that aren’t worthy and to remind them about places that are still doing a good job and should be patronized. Huse is confused about the connection between his job as a food historian and mine.

***

I worked one summer in Boston for two Holocaust-survivor brother architects. Henneberg and Henneberg did residential design in a very Robert Anshen/Eichler style. From an historical perspective, theirs were really amazing houses. But that 1989 summer in Boston, no one was hiring them. Their designs were dark, low, squatty, with teeny closets, etc. In essence, they were dated and the Zeitgeist had moved on.

New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn goes to fashion week, goes to Milan—spends her time in earnest examination of this particular moment, this particular designer. It’s all fleeting, some of these clothes barely warmed by human flesh before they are passé. Yes, she is better at her job if she is steeped in fashion history. She knows all about the strange blip in the 1970s when gaucho pants were popular, but her job is not to campaign to bring gauchos back. If designers start dabbling again in flare-legged Argentine cowboy pants, so be it. She’ll report it.

What I’m saying: The food historian can be smitten by the lush and layered fabric of a restaurant’s life. Valencia Garden, say. But my job is to say if it’s still good. If the place is shabby, the food is dated and there’s a weird moldy smell, it’s my job to say so. There are idiosyncratic Florida foods that are beloved by historians. Things like deviled crabs. Fine, but truth is, most deviled crabs are huge, unhealthy gut bombs that should be put out of their misery and ours.

Put another way, my colleague Steve Persall knows about film history, has beloved directors and movies he wishes we'd all see. Still, he has to review New Moon because that's what serves readers. Or book editor Colette Bancroft devotes time and space to John Irving's new book (ouch), but that doesn't mean she doesn't have hundreds of books she would highly recommend to readers.

***

There is a difference between what Persall and Bancroft do and what I do, though. If Persall slams a Spielberg movie, he's not putting anyone out of business. His negative review will not noticeably impact the movie's bottom line. With restaurant reviews, a slam can have devastating effects.

Thus, and this is important, the most important thing for a restaurant critic—far more important than knowing the names of pre-Prohibition Ybor City restaurateurs—is to have a metric that is consistent and suitable for the area in which you're reviewing. Meaning, it's essential for a food critic to keep track of what is going on in the rest of the country, and to understand how the local restaurant scene fits into that. This is not New York City. I do not evaluate restaurants here using the same metric. This is tough love: The average restaurant here is not as good as the average restaurant there. If I evaluated restaurants here using the same yardstick I would use there, star ratings would be lower across the board.

So, what I'm long-windedly saying: Yes, history is important, but a restaurant critic, a good one, functions as a barometer. What's going on RIGHT NOW in the ongoing dialogue about what constitutes good food, and how does this particular restaurant measure up?

Comments

[JoeH]

I thought only the canadian critics clubbed baby seals? http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/

[Old Chef Dude]

Well said.

[steve]

Here I thought Valencia went broke when the last patrons tired of surly waiters and mediocre food. Were it not convenient to downtown and sort of a "be seen" place, it would have croaked twenty years sooner. All I miss of the Seabreeze is seeing that woman with the upswept black-and-silver, breaking-wave hairdo. THAT was worth going to see.

[Paul]

Valencia was one of my favorite places for good food and atmosphere.

It is a shame that it no longer exists.

No food critic has ever influenced my opinion.

Their opinion is no more important than yours or mine.

The "Gardens" had it's following and regular customers,
and maybe they did not do enough to attract new patrons
and tried to live off of their past reputation.

Seniors like myself will always have fond memories.

[Scott]

Gourmet = glutton in a tuxedo. Although I can appreciate your "yardstick" rule, to say that restaurants here are not up to par with New York sounds like a typical New Yorker talking. As a native that is sick and tired of my home being compared to northern locations, how about mentioning that the manners exhibited by the patrons here would put to shame those of the average north eastern patrons, who seemed to have forgten how to hold doors, seat a lady, and say "please" and "thank you". New York is a dump and nothing special, although it seems that critics just can't seem to stay off the "NY is great" bandwagon. You wonder why you get bashed at a lecture? It's because you're out of touch with the common man and his tastes.

[Karen2104]

Huse is a poseur, crying because his favorite restaurant closed. While a food critic can have an effect on those new-restaurants-that-will-be-gone-in-six-months, it will take more than being ignored by the critics to take down a classic.

[Jesse]

Valencia was where you went for your last meal. Restaurant of the walking dead.

[Peter]

Well, then let's talk about that metric...

I think it would be much more helpful if you expanded your ruling system beyond the tried-and-true, but tired star system.

I recognize, especially after living in NYC for two years and having worked at a NYT 4 Star restaurant, that you have to grade on a curve here.

But it seems like too many restaurants get two or two and a half stars. Your reviews are absolutely enjoyable to read, but then, when I get to the end of them, it's 2.5 stars. Take two reviews for example, I believe you gave Diner 437 2.5 stars and 400 Beach 2.5 stars.

By that standard those restaurants are near equal. But what a ridiculous notion. I've eaten at both restaurants at least a half dozen times and those restaurants are not even comparable. But when I go on Chowhound, etc., and I read that the local critic gave them both 2.5 stars, I might think that they are.

I don't know what the answer is: but I think it would be bold and wonderful if you, Ms Reiley, the uber talented critic who I read regularly invented a better a system. Go to 1-10. Add in a "degree of difficulty" system. Try something like Zagat's. I don't know.

But I just don't think grading on a curve works unless the results look less like a bell curve.

[Richard Gonzmart]

Laura, I agree with you, it IS your job to report on your visits of all restaurants. I am sure there are many of us that will not agree with your opinions but sometimes the truth hurts. I take criticism both good and bad as constructive to help us to be better each day. It keeps us on our toes. Even though we have been in business for over 104 years, I understand we are only as good as our last meal. I am sure there will be many who will read this and have some bad memories of past visits, all I ask of them is to try the Columbia again, it is like taking a trip to Spain without leaving the Bay area.
Peace, Richard Gonzmart 4th Generation

[JBGJRESQ]

Who to blame? Blame a society whose values have shifted to demand immediate gratification, short term results, and a constant stream of stimulating commercial offerings. Its just like the stock market - an obsession on immediate, short-term quarterly performance. Who cares if the institution has prospered, served the community, and provided steady employment for decades or more? When compared to what are perceived to be its peers, when it turns what are deemed to be unimpressive repeated quarterly results, it is dropped like a hot potato.

So goes the fate of now closed, old-school restaurants.

Hey everybody! Tacko-Hut has a new flavor burrito - lets go!

[Sue]

Valencia went under because the food wasn't good. There are too many Spanish restaurants in this area that ARE good, for Valencia to have thrived. Restaurant critics don't "make or break" restaurants for me. I actually use reviews more to learn about new places, and decide on the food for myself. I know bad (and mediocre) food when I eat it. If a place doesn't live up to standards, I usually give them one more shot before writing it off unles there's a change in chef, ownership, etc.)

I think some of these old-timers just romanticize things too much. And I completely agree about deviled crab.

[The Mouth]

Peter, very intriguing suggestion. I've got to mull that over because what you say has a lot of merit. We'll talk off line, but maybe another blog post and discussion about that is in order.

[Richard Guzinya]

Scott, the statement "NYC is a dump and nothing special (for food world)" is nuts! I was there for a week last Dec. staying in mid-town and randomly walked around the neighborhood and selected restaurants with no research: Italian, Indian, steak house, South American, hipster new cusine. It was incredible. Every single one amazing ... within blocks. It is good to have pride in where you live, but give credit where it's due. Tampa Bay invented Hooters & fried cheese, dominates buffalo wings, and serves up the quaint stone crab ... but is a fart in the wind compared to NYC. ~RG

[Zippy]

I've got to agree with Steve at 12:09. The waiters were amazingly surly and the food was at best mediocre. I attended a meeting there once with Fred Karl as the guest speaker and the waiters clanged all the dishes together so you couldn't hear the speaker. Some of the best Cuban food that I've had is in little out of the way places owned by Mom and Pop.

[Ellie]

History is important. History is unknown to those new to the area, so revisiting the older restaurants is important. I'm tired of reading reviews of menus that are absolutely unfamiliar and unappetizing, even if they are the next "best thing". I'm also tired of reading the Times articles posted on the wall of so many reastaurants that praise the restaurant in spite of limited and absolutely boring menus. There must be a happy medium.

I'd also like to see a list of those restaurants with "baked potato" on the menu which actually serve a BAKED, not steamed, potato.

[Brendan]

Anyone who thinks that a critic of the St. Pete Times has the power to kill a landmark restaurant -- or that such an accusation is even worthy of serious response -- is delusional! The power of the local newspaper and local critic has been eclipsed by social media, blogs, word of mouth, just about everything.

[Tom]

The Valencia's departure wasn't a surprise to me. I went there with my wife once in the late 90's. Food was marginal, service was poor.

Went back three more times for sponsored functions in the early part of this decade. Nothing had changed.

[Jon]

Has anyone ever really cared what a food critic wrote about a place? I no more care what some stuffy foodie thinks about a local eatery than I do what Roger Ebert thinks about a film. Their writing is usually an exercise in self-importance...get over yourselves

[Thomas]

Hilarious that people would think a critic could have the power to make or break a restaurant. Even more hilarious is the critic who believes it to be a valid theory.

[George]

Restaurants age and get old, just like people. And some restaurants take things for granted and try to coast.

[JAMES B. JOHNSON]

One review wont kill a restaurant unless the reviewer has a near-death encounter from the food.

Oftentimes employees steal or drink the restaurant into bankruptcy. Or they give too many freebies to their friends & family. Or their service is awful.

Location can kill a restaurant. An armed robbery or monkey business in the restrooms get noticed.

Sometimes the kids inherit the restaurant and kill it; this happens a lot. Or the owner loads the place up with relatives and there's too many chiefs and too few workers.

Or a restaurant is a magnet for the wrong crowd....refer to restroom horrors above.

[The Ultimate Authority]

Brendan, you are right on the money. Restaurant critics do not have THAT kind of influence, even in NYC. I'd put word of mouth as #1, followed by all of the social media as far as the impact on a restaurant.

I never went to Valencia Gardens, but it sounds about as appealing as Condon Gardens (former public housing project in Clearwater).

[The Mouth]

Mr. Johnson, that's an astute summary of the many things that can drag a formerly great restaurant down. Thanks for sharing.

[Bill]

I read yours, and any restaurant reviewer's stuff, for information---more than even the opinion.

Too many new restaurants in this area don't understand the importance of letting the surrounding neighborhoods and community know of what is on the menu, as well as the cost.

Simply, I normally don't try a place I know nothing about. I have tried places you have both disliked and liked--because I know how much I'm going to drop, and whether there is something on the menu that really fits my taste.

Though at this time, a price range is most important.

[Rebekah]

I also was at the lecture last night and enjoyed the event immensely. I think the Columbia is still around because when they became stuck in a bad place they were not afraid to change. They are the first ones to admit they had some unfortunate years.

[The Mouth]

Rebekah, I couldn't agree more. They've managed to keep an essential identity while tinkering with the details every step of the way. Also, the Gonzmart family does a ton for the community, so that has a cumulative effect (not in a woo-woo karmic way, but just engendering good will widely).

[tampa2cents]

I've had good and bad food in NY just like in Tampa, just like in any number of other cities. New York doesn't necessarily make it better. I also question a critic's ability to wield enough power to close a restaurant. I can say (with impunity as a 6th generation Floridian) that one big reason we don't have more choices of local, home-grown restaurants is that you won't support them. Meanwhile, the national chain with 40,or 100 or 500 other locations, "Hoo-boy, can't wait to go!" The very idea that someone would choose a Capital Grille over a Bern's, SideBern's, Mise en Place, Massimo's or Cafe Ponte is just stupid.

[Czar]

"...truth is, most deviled crabs are huge, unhealthy gut bombs that should be put out of their misery and ours. "

Not the point at all, nor is it your job to be our Mommy and to decide how or what we eat.

Your "Job" is to tell us if the food itself, and the restaurant, are good; if the food is presented well, if it tastes the way it should... even if it happens to be a "gut bomb" of deviled crab, was it properly made and taste and look the way deviled crab should? I can decide for myself if I want to eat a 2500 calorie, 40gm fat dinner. YOUR job is to tell me if I will enjoy eating there.

I couldn't care less if the Venetian Gardens closed. Honestly, if it was still good, it would still be open. Look at the Columbia... look at Bern's. Good restaurants that serve good food will survive, even thrive.

Point us there. Show us the places we would like to dine. But don't slam the place because it serves fattening fare, or a meal you prefer not to eat. THAT is not what we want from you.

[tampa2cents]

Oh, and by the way, I LOVE a good deviled crab with some hot sauce...

[andy huse]

Interesting that a single sentence would touch such a nerve. And i never mentioned Valencia Gardens.

But i do like a healthy debate. Its on, Reilly! I will let you know when my rebuttal is published.

[Dr_Dug]

Laura Reiley doesn't really do her job..or even have one. I once read a story she wrote about a NEW spot to eat and decided to give it a try...Laura Reiley WAS DEAD WRONG!! The service was horrible,the food was weak and the atmosphere boring. It's important to note that the restaurant is now OUT OF BUSINESS!!
It appears Laura Reily, as a food critic, may get better service or make new friends while eating out, but her skill at picking good restaurants and writing about them seems more difficult.....It fact, she acts more like a marketing specialist than a real food critic when it comes to picking out good/bad spots to eat..Ahhhh, if only everyone had such a tough job!! Eat where you want, give a good review, and make new fiends with the owners....Whoa....so much fun...so little work!!
If she was Governor, she be just like ole' Charlie...no real work and plenty of smiles....
Get rid of the worthless food critics and let the people who frequent the restaurant write in and talk about them..after all, it's word of mouth by the patrons who enjoy the food that help a business grow, not some paid food critic stopping in for a quick bite to eat....

[The Mouth]

Andy, you harangued about restaurant critics for several sentences. The sentence that I found most disturbing was this one, verbatim: "The reason restaurants go under is because restaurant critics spend all their time reviewing new restaurants that will go out of business in the next six months."

[Lee]

Who gave these reviewers the right to review and judges the right to judge? I go with my gut, like Stephen Colbert.

[RocketBoy]

Enjoyed today's column and the fiery comments that followed. You certainly opened up the can this time. I totally agree that a restaurant's historicalness should not be confused with it's current quality of service and food. I understand folks don't want to be "mothered", me included, however when it comes the proven harm that certain foods and eating habits can cause to our bodies and mind, I need the tough love, the reality, to keep me aware of the choices I make when it comes meals. I know it's unhealthy to eat 2 Big Macs for lunch, but I still did today. Why? Well it's Customer Appreciation day at McDonald's dontcha know? Our as a co-worker said to me "oh you mean emergency Triple Bypass Day!" Yes I'm an idiot. I need folks like Laura to be looking out for guys like me. There's apparently a lot of us out there now. So, no, Tampa is not NYC or Washington, DC even (I know) but it's our local place to explore and we rely on folks like Laura to help guide us to places that we wish we knew about. We have the a lot of Bay to cover too, not just the small city of Tampa. In that regard Laura I think you're doing just fine. The ratings system is a bit quaint but it's still fairly useful. Perhaps in the digital age we can have a series of snazzy progress bar looking things that goes all gradient and stuff :-). I've seen where the paid reviewe gets one bar and user reviews get another. So folks could a sense of what the foodie for hire finds and how vibrantly the forum flamers disagree with them. Lastly, looking forward to a civil debate between Ms Reiley and Mr. Huse. Keep it clean guys!

[Luby]

I LOVE this stuff. People are so funny. I read restaurant critiques so they give me an idea of the vibe and what to expect in a restaurant before I go to try it. I never use them to decide my opinion and judging by this post I highly doubt anyone else with a even a half-independant mind does either. It seems though some people read critiques so they can slam the opinions of others for the health of their own egos. In that case all I can say is I hope you people have a few extra cocktails before dinner so the waitstaff can deal with you. :)

[Thomas]

I still would like to see a search feature for this blog so that I can type in the name of a restaurant and read what you and others have to say about it.

[Hank]

Boy, finally a post with some meat on it!

I don't believe Laura needs a new matrix to judge restaurants in Tampa, you can parse mediocrity only so many ways.

C'mon, who in Tampa is pushing the envelope? You cannot compare the complacent dining scene in Tampa against NYC, Atlanta or for that matter Greenville SC. Sure, Masssimo's is good, so is Mese en Place,,, better than most. But what are they doing now? Same thing for Cafe Ponte, what is happening new? No offense meant personally but his menu wouldn't get a second look in most medium sized cities. These local "chef celebe's" can sit back and coast because no one is pushing them. They may possess the "can do" but not the "want to".

I commend the Columbia for evolving and maintaining a profitable business model. Do I go there for the best Spanish food available? No way, I go there because I appreciate marriage of the old and the new.

What I have learned is that the really talented chefs/businesssmen, guys like Marco Canora, Tom Valenti, Danny Meyer have learned how to appease current customers and develop new ones at the same time. They develop a trust with the clientele that affords them to take the patron on a journey. Their passion has built trust with the patron.

No reviewer puts a restaurant on notice, they do it to themselves.

I don't really think we deserve a restaurant reviewer if the quality of the product here doesn't get any better. And more importantly, if we don't demand better.

Who here in Tampa has the passion to lead?

[The Mouth]

Thomas, about: "search feature for this blog so that I can type in the name of a restaurant and read what you and others have to say about it." That's a great idea. Will bring it up with Web people and see how feasible it is. I agree completely.

And Hank, as always, you cut to the "meat" of things. There's been a lot of ugliness here today (yeah, maybe some on my part), but I'm hoping it will lead to productive dialogue. Right now the most helpful take-away for me is that the star system I'm working with may be hurting more than it helps. And for the chefs and restaurateurs, I hope they're hearing that savvy consumers, those who have traveled and eaten broadly, have high standards that are often not being met.

[Old Chef Dude]

Exactly Hank.We commented on it in September. The can do BUT the complete lack of want to.What happened to the passion for the cuisine. And once again no one to push,on either side of the door.And Mouth I'm sure you read plenty of reviews from other blogs and print as do I.To me it seems that even internationally the Standard rating is 1-5 unless I'm missin something.What are you to do break it down to the .01 of a point.

[Josie]

There are great places to eat here in St. Pete and in the whole area. I think having an involved, articulate food critic is vital to building a sustained quality eating scene.
The suggestion of changing the metric is great--there is more finesse in 10 points than 4.
I lap up the reviews, partially to find out more info about somewhere I may not have been to, and partially to understand what makes a good restaurant.
While I may not agree with a review (Datz? I gave them two tries, two too many) I love having my attention brought to a place I may not know about.
I own a restaurant, and eat out, and have worked in restaurants. I can figure out from the business and consumer angles. The critic can give an overview of the state of eating in a particular area.
When we have Z Grille, Queenshead, Donny at Bella Brava, and other exciting places opening or changing their menus, it allows us to be more adventurous with our own cooking.
A review won't make or break a place, but it will affect its finances.
If it there is a bad review, I would hope that the place is given another chance in a few months, to see if they improved. That might just be the mom in me writing...
good conversation!

[Ken]

Why have a rating system at all? Just write a well-balanced restaurant review and let the readers decide if they wish to patronize it or not.

[Elaine]

Wow this is a heated discussion! I happen to enjoy most of Laura's reviews.(maybe one too many pubs lately though) You have been one of the few that give an educated view about local food. But I will disagree somewhat about there not being local restaurants on par with NYC. No we don't have anything comparable to Per Se or Le Bernadin but some of our small non-chain restaurants are doing some exciting things with their food. There are several problems here in Tampa. One is the idea that Cuban food is considered fine dining. Don't get me wrong I do like a good plate of black beans and rice at times but that is home cookin' and comparing with Spanish food (from Spain) is comparing apples to oranges. I travel often and have been to Spain many times and their food is nothing like the Columbia restaurant. It gets alot of praise for its cuisine but there isn't a meal I've had there that tasted much better than the cuban places on Columbus dr. Then there is a restaurant in Carrollwood called Vizcaya which truly does have mouthwatering creative Spanish cuisine and it doesn't get half the praise here. And I tried highly rated by the New York times Tapas restaurants in NYC last year (Mercat and another I cant remember) and there was no comparison to Vizcaya--no where near as good.
I also frequent Mise en Place. The chef there Marty is really creative and his is food is always great. The service is wonderful and the prices are good. I think its a great value for the quality and caliber of the restaurant but there are alot of Tampanians that won't venture from the chain restaurants and now we are being bombarded with high end chain restaurants with mediocre food. Ocean Prime, for example, beautiful place, nice servers but the food is so-so. I personally want to know the truth as you tell it Laura when it comes to local restaurants so please continue giving your honest opinion.

[andy huse]

i look forward to being to have a real debate about these kinds of issues. i would have framed the ideas much differently than they have been here.

[Ed C.]

Mouth:

Great discussion! I'm on your side on this one. Sure, some sensitive, insecure types will be angered by comparisons to other towns. So what? That's part of the reporting function. This just in...there's a wide world out there. You don't have to like it, but it exists.

As for the new metric. It's not possible to rank order every restaurant as if there were a single criterion. That's why the vagueness of the 5 points is tried and true. Segmentation of the dining market (e.g., foodie, traditionalist, value-seeker?) could help readers better find their preferred places, to the extent that they can identify where they fall on that given day.

[Matt Sr]

I think you were right on Laura and I think
the comment post by Richard Gonzmart is
exactly the correct way restauranteurs should
regard and accept a critics review , no differently
than how we look at any guests visit.
We should always strive to make each visit
a great experience for that guest to want to share
with their friends.
Matt Sr

[Ed C.]

Mouth:

Ooo! Ooo! Check this out!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703683804574533840282653628.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_lifestyle

Science says that wine judges can't tell a good wine from bad. And that competition medals appear to be random. Apropos of your thoughts on appropriate rating systems.

I think one of the studies is flawed, as it is well known that a bottle of wine changes over time. However, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater....

[Jimbo]

Scott, it's people like you with such a parochial view that keeps some of the Bay area's poorer restaurants in business. It would be a stretch to put greater Tampa in the third tier of U.S. restaurant cities. Richard is absolutely correct...it is nearly impossible to walk into any NYC restaurant and get anything less than an above average meal.

As for you Laura, you do a great job and are open to input from your loyal readers. Can't ask for more than that.

[The Mouth]

Ken, I think yours is a good question(and Peter and others have added some additional direction on a rating system). Here is my rationale for having a rating system at all: The digital age has made it such that a person, such as myself, can go to an unknown city and on the Web site of the local newspaper (one that still has a critic who is anonymous and doesn't take anything for free) type in their hotel's zip code (even if they don't precisely know where they are), then the amount of money they want to spend ($$ or $$$ or $), then the cuisine they want to eat, and then--in a perfect world--what the local critic thinks is the best pick that conforms to those previous criteria. Thus, a star system is shorthand that can be used in a database function.

It's not just for visitors. So, say I want to take my book club out one night to eat Chinese (to go with reading Fortune Cookie Chronicles, maybe) and I want to be in South Tampa somewhere, and I want it to be cheap, but I want it to be good. So, I type in Chinese, $, two- to three-stars, plus the neighborhood or zip code. Voila.

This seems pedestrian, but at core it's to serve readers better, and to have a metric that can be figured out at a glance. Can someone's livelihood be summed up by two or three stars? Eh, it's inelegant. And often you're comparing apples and oranges. But its objective is to create a system that is user-friendly for readers.

[Wednesday's Food and Wine Reader]

Wednesday's Food and Wine Reader:

http://bit.ly/41KDZ3

[Thomas]

Quit spamming the site, dude.

[Peter Schorsch]

Wasn't spamming. My post referred extensively to Laura's post.

[Peter Schorsch]

Wasn't spamming. My post referred extensively to Laura's post.