Restaurant review or rebuke

It's a hard one for me.
Review honestly that is.
What I am talkin' bout is simply the fact that your opinion is subjective when it comes to critiqueing others food.

Think of this: "Fast food has become ever so popular because it's good"
Now, think to yerself....."do I enjoy that food and the like?"
If you answer yes, than most likely you would enjoy similarly prepared foods...e.g.: fried foods. THe same can go for, say, Cioppino, only not all fried food and cioppino for that matter are created the exactly same in many establishments.. Even in the same kitchen!

So what's my point?

My point is; that although you may dine at and post about a particular restaurant and say marvelous things about it it is the subjectiveness of your taste that can cloud a review. True. many foods are enjoyed by most everyone and consequently naysayers can be rare.

So I have decided that since peoples tastebuds are ever so different(it's true, some folks don't savor greasy and over oiled foods) I will not post any more negative comments regarding dining or meals from restaurants that I have visited.

Example:
I was reluctant to order prawns at a local favorite restauarant because I had scored big ones and feasted at home on them the day before. But as the owner passed by he remarked" the prawns are very large and good.
OK. Sold!
I was literally shocked when I recieved the shrimp. Tiny(by local standards) and over cooked.
WTF I thought. I don't get it. Why did the cook prepare the small shrimp for all of us. It was certainly not my first visit and the food was always fair to good before.
See how your meal can be manipulated. To me consistancy is paramount, especially when it comes to perishables such as seafood.
Now, if I posted these negative comments with a name attached I would most likely be berated as I have in the past.
I won't hurt a fellow Nomads feelings by judging their taste vs. mine, and why should I? Will I go back to that restaurant again? Sure, but I'll NEVER order that meal again Maybe my next post will be of a positive nature at the same place. I think it may be unfair of any of us to degrade any place as the subjectiveness of this topic in general may not be in the best interest for many establishments. Maybe this topic should be eliminated if it means that people(Nomads in general) would be discouraged from a place that I or you personally disliked because they have a different set of tastebuds and standards.
Exceptions are establishements that have been known to have given people illness or discomfort.
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In other news:

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I enjoyed a nicely prepared and tasty Chile Relleno at the La Palapa restaurant in Loreto. The guacamole was akin to my own being chunky with fresh tomatos and a hint of garlic.
The sever was extremely prompt and helpful as we were rushed. The others in our party enjoyed there combo plates as well. Clean and comfortable.

So my fellow diner.... not to worry, I'll tell you what I liked. It's possible though......you might not. Be forewarned however that unpleasantries may exist.

See the point?

Sharks---------

--------that "post" makes more sense than any I have seen lately. Your points are----well-----right on "point".

I applaud you for your insightful comments.

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja So my fellow diner.... not to worry, I'll tell you what I liked. It's possible though......you might not. Be forewarned however that unpleasantries may exist. See the point?

See the point?

Hey, as I'm reading your post, I'm in agreement...I don't often post horror stories of bad restaurant experiences. No, not even the really, really bad (rancid?) food that kept my wife and I away from a certain restaurant for a year. The one we finally went back to, with two friends, and each ordered different meals and all four of us thought our meals were terrible. Then I reaqd your positive review. Yes, unpleasantries may exist!

Seriously, the bad rap I had heard long before about this restaurant was that they had a big problem with consistency...good sometimes, to very poor other times.

Nice location and atmosphere, though.

Geeez.....thanks!

Sq., thank you for the kind words. But with all due respect, I can feel better NOT contradicting a fellow Nomad by my own taste and preference. You see amigo, the picture is more grand than that. Plenty of Nomads frequent lots of nearby restaurants and have a personal relationship with the owners.
The casual diner being somewhat at a disadvantage cannot clearly see the ebb and flow of quality that persists in many restaurants. It's pretty well-known that the turn-over of cooks and chefs in the industry are normally short-lived. This means the controls are more often than not turned over to a new recruit. With the change of a food preparer typically comes a change of the meal. Even something like lobster can be completely different because the new cook gives it 3 more minutes. Now factor in EVERYTHING that is required to deliver that meal and you may very well experience a whole new taste. Might be twice as good for ten different reasons.
Needless to say amigo, I now prefer to sample individual items at tiny places and avoid scrutinizing a biz based on one visit and one dinner plate. Most of the time I don't mince words........esta peligroso muchos tiempos!
Mainly what I am trying to do is emphasize what is good to ME (that day)and all the rest is a gamble.......or not!

Besides what may suck today may not suck manana, or vice versa.

Let's face it, it's a crap shoot in many places.


AS far as your use of the verb "pandering" I'd prefer to call it "respect" for those(in this forum)who feel personally insullted by negative restaurant feedback.

Sharks, I am confused

Why should it matter?

I never visit a restaurant based on an unsolicited review. And I only read reviews for amusement. We base our dining choices on a small circle of friends who serve as guinea pigs. If they say go...we go. Rarely have they been wrong. Even then, I always give a joint at least two chances. Unless they outright lie to me.

Then I'm merciless.

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave Quote: Originally posted by Sharksbaja Hypothetically speaking; what would you think of my opinion if I visited 5 establishments that received good reviews here and I reported later that I found them fair to mediocre. Would you feel short-changed or under-mined by my opinion if you had had a positive experience there before? Why should it matter? I never visit a restaurant based on an unsolicited review. And I only read reviews for amusement. We base our dining choices on a small circle of friends who serve as guinea pigs. If they say go...we go. Rarely have they been wrong. Even then, I always give a joint at least two chances. Unless they outright lie to me. Then I'm merciless.