Before I head out for a low key New Year's Eve with friends, full of laughter, I'm sure, but involving no new-to-me restaurants that may/may not result in a post, I thought I'd address a question I've received more often in the last few months:
Why don't you ever write negative reviews?
There are a lot of great blogs and reviewers out there who review restaurants/plays/insert-cultural-excursion-here with a discerning eye and impart their opinions positive or negative. Some of these reviewers have made a career (how cool is THAT?!) out of these opinions, and some just enjoy painting a picture for readers of their experience, whether or not that picture is a happy one. However, I started this blog in large part as a venue to make recommendations to friends. I like to go to restaurants, run races, check out plays, go to concerts, and instead of filling emails with long lists of possibilities when friends ask me about favorite spots/activities, I thought a blog would be an easier (and more amusing) method of answering those inquiries.
So because this blog was always an extension of my "oh-my-word, you MUST check out this restaurant I went to last night..." dialogue, it has been shaped similarly. I get no joy in offering negative reviews. My view is that any restaurant can have an off night. Having waited tables for years, I'm positive every waiter/waitress has their share of off nights. So when I do have experiences that I'd prefer not be repeated, I just don't review it. Odds are, unless the experience was somehow offensive in its awfulness, I'll be back to give it a second shot anyway. Why obsess over one visit that ended poorly when there are more enjoyable things to discuss?
I offer a few more criticisms when reviewing theater productions. I'm comfortable doing that because it's rare that I attend a show that I wouldn't recommend on some level. If I saw something I truly hated, again, I'd just refrain from blogging about it. So much of these experiences are shaped by personal preference, I'm open to the idea that what I loathe, someone else might love.
And while some of this always-positive angle is self-serving (I just don't LIKE negative reviews, they just feel boring to me), part of the decision not to lambast an experience is because social media has become more powerful than I'm comfortable with sometimes. I'm just a young, professional, single woman who likes going out and experiencing her city. I'm not a chef, nor an actress (though I like to cook and I did act a great deal in a past life), and my race-running prowess is often graced with the caveat that I'm slower than the majority of runners. All that to say, I'm not an expert on any of these subjects.
A blog lets me feign some level of know-how or know-of and that's more responsibility than I'd like to accept. Some of my experiences are great, and I love giving shout outs to those establishments. But when my experiences leave something to be desired, I would hate to know that statements I make in frustration could damage the reputation of hard-working restauranteurs, race directors, actors, etc. My voice is a quiet one in the blogosphere, but it takes so little these days to damage a spot's ability to attract guests. A couple angry Yelp reviews, a few Tweets of ire, and all of the sudden Mom-and-Pop corner bakery is empty on Saturday morning. That's not anything I want on my conscience. The men and women behind the places I often review have embarked on a career I admire but doubt I'd ever have the guts to pursue. I recognize that and offer a sincere high five.
There are simply too many restaurants, races, plays, concerts, museums, art shows, festivals, and other doodahs to enjoy in these Cities to waste my time bemoaning the ones that don't live up to my expectations.
And with that explanation as my midnight kiss to this blog, I'm looking forward to lots of "oh-my-word, you MUST try this new spot I found, race I ran, exhibition I saw, band I heard, food truck I tried..." posts in 2014!
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