Why?
Why not? I mean, anyone who has ever seen me can tell I have a tendency to (over)indulge in certain pleasures, but unlike those who simply overeat or over imbibe I'm a foodie (and I might add a "drinkie" if such a term exists). I've been trained in cooking, earned certifications in wine and mixology, and have eaten in a wide range of restaurants and had drinks in bars in over 40 different countries and in every major city in the USA. I love to cook, love to mix drinks, love dining (both in and out), and love wine. I keep up to date with styles and trends through visiting various restaurants and bars, experimenting in my home kitchen and bar, attending wine and food tastings, reading periodicals and cookbooks, talking to trade professionals, and of course watching The Food Network (recorded of course).
So what makes this blog different? Well for one thing I will try to focus on food and drink from a "pink perspective", that is, I will always try to review establishments in the LGBT community in any city I am currently in. This doesn't mean I won't review restaurants, bars, and events that aren't part of the gay establishment but rather if there is even one gay bar or gay owned and operated restaurant in the area I'll make an effort to check it out. For another, I'm not a professional in the trade. I have no agenda other than to tell people where I went and whether or not I liked my experience. Since I am paying my own way how I spend my money and my time is important and I hope to let people know that I considered it worthwhile to go and plop down my hard earned pink dollars at the place under review.
While I'm not a Ruth Reichl, A. A. Gill, or Patricia Wells I do have some rules that I will always try to follow:
- If there is a gay owned/operated restaurant in the area I will pay it a visit.
- Never write a bad review based on one visit (though I will allow myself to write a generally positive review based on one visit. For someone like me this makes sense as it's my time and my dime).
- If the first visit is bad, must take someone with me the second visit.
- Wait at least 6 months after a new opening or a major change before going for a review visit.
- Always go into a new environment with a positive attitude. From time-to-time this might take some effort on my part as like any normal human being I am predisposed to enjoying certain experiences and not being so thrilled about others, but I will do my best to disclose up front any such bias and try not to let it color my experience.
- Never reveal when I am putting together a review before the bill is paid.
- When possible, take someone with me.
- Be fair but pull no punches.
When grading restaurants I will be using a grading scale of A - F similar to ones used in schools throughout the country. For the final overall grade you can use this as a general guide:
- A - If you're anywhere in the city, go to it.
- B - If you're in the general area, go to it.
- C - If you're on the same street and you remember the name it's ok to drop in.
- D - Sorry, you had at least two shots. Unless there is something peculiar about the place that interests you, skip.
- F - Watch for it on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.
One other note... this is not simply a bar/restaurant review blog. It's all about food, drink, and fun so you might find information about an upcoming event, an interesting article I've read, an experiment I've tried, or just a general rant simply because I felt like it. So stick around and let the fun being.
Thanks,
Michael
P.S. I'll continue keeping a my reviews of wine at my other blog, so check it out.
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