The Difficulties and Limitations of Being a Food Critic

While I am but a newbie, amateur in the world of food critics, in eating and writing about food over these past several months I have begun to realize the difficulties and limitations of being a food critic. I wanted to write about these limitations for several reasons. First, I think they are interesting. Second, in a sense I want to both get them off my chest and serve as a disclaimer to blog readers. I want blog readers to know that my thoughts about a restaurant are only that, my thoughts. I could be wrong and they could have a very different experience.

An initial limitation is that I experience food through the lens of my personal preferences. I like weird, exotic foods. I tend to like spicy food. I am not a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I gravitate towards the savory side of the food spectrum and shy away from the sweet side. I love seafood. I like chewy food. I enjoy the liver or gamey taste that many organ meats or game meats have. Not everyone shares these preferences. Whereas there is an open debate in the field of aesthetics as to whether some art is better than other art, I don't think there is any question that there can be no general objectivity in the world of food. Everyone is made differently. We taste differently and we therefore like different foods.

I am also constrained by my limited experiences. I like to write about "exotic" foods that are not part of my upbringing or cultural heritage. Whereas I can bring a wealth of experience to reviewing Southern food and barbecue, when I review a Vietnamese dish it is likely the first time I have had that dish. My review of a Vietnamese dish and a review of the same dish by a Vietnamese person are likely to be very different. I am limited by both my cultural background and my experiences. When you read my reviews, know that they come from a twenty-five year old, white, Southern male. But also know that this white male has gotten escargot in his stocking at Christmas since he was a little boy and has always ordered the oddest thing on the menu for as long as he can remember.

I am also constrained by another form of limited experiences. When I go to a restaurant I order only a few items off of the menu. I may order the restaurant's best items or I may order their weakest items. I of course try to order what look like the best, most unique items on the menu, but whether I am right is mostly a matter of chance.

Beyond these internal limitations, there are also a host of external constraints. To begin, restaurants have good and bad days. My reviews are the result of one meal at a restaurant. If the restaurant is having a bad day and is usually better, my review cannot reflect that fact. If the server is hungover or is the restaurant's worst server, my generalization about the restaurant's service will not be accurate.

Restaurants also change over time. Chefs come and go. Menus change. Management changes. My review is, again, a review of one meal at one point in time. My reviews cannot account for any changes that may have occurred since I ate there.

Finally, there are simply a multitude of variables that go into any review. A review must account for taste, service, atmosphere, etc. I may erroneously overvalue or undervalue one element. You may place a greater or lesser degree of value on that one element. If you really want pupusas you may be willing to sacrifice a level of service. (Although Rincon Latino had fine service. This is just an example.) If you want an nice date meal you may be willing to forgo a level of uniqueness or a particular cuisine in favor of a higher level of service or a more formal atmosphere.

In conclusion, take what I have to say with a grain of salt. Know that I do my best, but I am limited in many ways. Go out there and explore for yourself. Do not continue to eat the same old cuisine week in and week out. There is an amazingly exciting world of food out there. Don't be afraid of looking stupid or trying something you don't like. You are likely never going to see the people in the restaurant again, and if you don't like the food no one can make you go back. Failure and the challenge are all part of creating interesting new experiences. Get out there and explore.