Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Food media Don't forget desserts! What are the most important ingredients in a restaurant review?
Posted by Besha Rodell @BeshaRodell on Tue, Jul 20, 2010 at 8:55 AM
- sxc.hu
I think the lack of content about pastry chef Kirk Parks and his outstanding desserts at Rathbun's was a significant oversight in this article. it simply is not a complete and accurate review without including this key aspect of dining at Rathbun's.
Mr. Ligon makes a valid point, and it's one that has come up since I first began reviewing restaurants in Atlanta. Quite often, desserts don't get the attention they merit, and it's an enduring frustration for pastry chefs and sweet lovers alike.
Often, this is a case of space, which is an issue I'll get to shortly. But with limited space, it's hard for a critic to figure out what to focus on. At many restaurants, desserts are a greatest hits collection - flourless chocolate cake, creme brulee, etc. While they may be exemplary, they often don't seem to warrant the word count compared to other dishes.
But that's not the case at Rathbun's. In fact, the restaurant makes a point of distinguishing itself in the sweets department, particularly by serving desserts in small portions. This allows a small sweet bite at the end of a meal, which, especially after devouring one of Rathbun's signature huge entrees, is often a perfect compromise. At $3.95 each, or as a tasting of 4 for $11 or $12 (their choice, $11, your choice $12), the system allows for a relatively inexpensive splurge or a fun way to share tastes with table mates.
I'm not quite as enamored of the desserts themselves as I am of the system. During my visits I sampled a lovely tiny peach tarte tatin humming with summer sweetness and layers of flaky, buttery pastry. But I also had a coconut cake with frosting that tasted like marshmallow fluff, far too heavy for what should be a feathery, light cake. And the oversized, candy-inspired chocolate bars that seem to be such huge crowd pleasers are far too sweet for my taste.
None of this means that the desserts at Rathbun's should be left out of the review. But we come back to the issue of space. Our recent redesign has, in my opinion, made our paper far more pleasing to the eye. But that beauty comes at a price - word count. I've lost some space in order to make room for photography and creative design. Even when I had more space, there was usually some sacrifice in content in order to make word count. With a restaurant as important to Atlanta as Rathbun's, there's so much to be said. Deciding what stays and what goes from the discussion is difficult.
I feel strongly that wine is a place where Atlanta restaurants have a true opportunity to distinguish themselves. Not enough of our eateries take wine seriously, and that's a trend I'd like to see reversed. We won't be considered a serious dining town until our serious restaurants have serious lists. Cocktails are also increasingly important to a restaurant's personality and reputation. These are areas I've begun to focus more attention, especially because I don't see that happening in other publications. But should I do so at the expense of covering desserts? Or decor? Or service?
In a perfect world I'd have thousands of words every week. Actually, that would probably bore y'all silly. But what do you think? What are the most important things to cover in a restaurant review?
Comments (4)
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I don't drink, so wine and cocktail reviews are wasted on me. I'm not saying that you should avoid them -- but when you do report on alcohol, be aware that you're not connecting with 100% of your audience.
As for what I want from a reviewer, it's definitely NOT a report on the general quality of the restaurant. Rather, what I want is your help in finding and understanding the dishes that will enrich me as a diner. If there a dish featuring an unusual ingredient (e.g., tripe, pork trotters, durian) that I might need a nudge to get up the courage to try, I love the food critic who gives me that nudge. If there's some cultural element to a dish's history or presentation that doesn't get a description on the menu, I really appreciate the critic who takes the time to fill in those gaps, to give me a way to appreciate the dish more fully. If there's a special Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean/etc. menu that might not be shown to me, or if there is an off-menu option for more (or less) adventurous palates, I'd love to know about it.
In short, I don't find it terribly illuminating if you tell me how you felt about a place. Now, of course I want to hear about the places that are worth a long bus ride or a Zipcar rental -- but, more importantly, I want you to tell me what I can do to make the absolute best of a restaurant if I find myself there anyway, regardless of whether I sought it out, or was dragged by family/friends.
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Maybe the trick is to use the wordcount for things that are exceptional, whether exceptionally good or bad, and minimize time spent on the unexceptional. If the wine list is the usual Chards and Pinots, say so in a line. If the wine program is chock full of interesting varietals and appellations, spend some more time on it (at the expense of some other mediocre aspect of the restaurant). If desserts are the usual molten chocolate cakes and creme brulees, say so and move on. If the pastry chef is doing exciting and interesting things, give it a few more lines. I know that pretty much sums up what a reviewer does on a weekly basis but I don't see another viable solution.
That said, I care least about decor. Unless the service is amazing or terrible, I don't care too much as long as the servers are competent. Savory food, beverages, and desserts (in that order) are the things I care most about. I suspect that due to the economy and the lack of luxe, see-and-be-seen places opening, that's a fairly common theme (democratization of gastronomy and all that).
Perhaps the solution would be to write a shorter, by-the-bullet-points review for the print publication and use the web site (or Omnivore blog) for longer, "director's cut" reviews where you're unhampered by column space concerns?
Drew - we often do cut for print and run a slightly longer version online. And what you're proposing is kind of what I do - go for the stuff I find most interesting, be it good or bad. But I have a hard time mentioning things in passing, because I feel as though reviews can so often become a laundry list - the food was X, the wine was Y, the service was Z. So often, stuff that's not as interesting simply gets left out.
JoeInAtlanta - you make a great point about a review being actually usable. I often try to let readers know how they can best enjoy a restaurant, regardless of how good it is. It's something I used to keep in mind much more, and it's great to be reminded of its importance.
I agree with you Besha about the desserts there; I found them not as exciting as I expected, for all the rave reviews that Rathbuns gets. Everything was very straight forward and one note. I wish there was more interest and focus on places that don't serve the usuals.....or at least redefines them. I think the Pastry Chef is a dying Art here in Atlanta. So many places buy desserts, or have a corporate pastry chef who is responsible for 4, 5, or 6 restaurants.....or even worse they have only someone right out of culinary school.....pastry cooks doing the menu.
I think it would be an interesting thing to explore.....
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