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Sneakeater

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As someone that can't possibly afford a $28 appetizer in my exceptionally rare restaurant meals, it is difficult to feel particularly passionate about much of this conversation, I have to admit. As a former restaurant operator, I am skin crawlingly aware of the damage that unfair(?) or inaccurate negative press can do to a new operation. I wonder how much influence a Sietsema review in Eater actually has. I have no idea.   

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17 hours ago, voyager said:

I'm not a big spender but I've seen many starters no larger than the infamous shrimp that are priced at/near $28.   I boggle that this was unfamiliar to Sietsema.    Are food critics allowed to carry chips on their shoulders?

While SIetsema certainly has a chip on his shoulder (against ambitious restaurants) (and rich people), it is entirely possible that was unfamiliar to him -- as he is unfamiliar with this entire segment of the industry.

Which is why it was such a bad move for Eater to fire Ryan Sutton and make Sietsema their general restaurant reviewer, rather than the hole-in-the-wall specialist he had been for decades.

Edited by Sneakeater
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17 hours ago, voyager said:

I'm not a big spender but I've seen many starters no larger than the infamous shrimp that are priced at/near $28.   I boggle that this was unfamiliar to Sietsema.    Are food critics allowed to carry chips on their shoulders?

Right. I think my last restaurant meal was at Francie (unless it was before Chama Mama). Starters are priced $24-$31, and the cheapest one is a salad.

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33 minutes ago, Sneakeater said:

While SIetsema certainly has a chip on his shoulder (against ambitious restaurants) (and rich people), it is entirely possible that was unfamiliar to him -- as he is unfamiliar with this entire segment of the industry.

 

"I don't know how much starters cost in ambitious restaurants and it's not my job to know."

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1 hour ago, backyardchef said:

So, no one can relate. It explains much to me. If you can't afford that price, your opinions or experiences just don't matter. 

 

hes not complaining that an appetizer is 28 dollars, he's complaining that two shrimp are 28 dollars.  He's happy to recommend a 39 dollar burger.  His critique isn't one of general affordability, its one of value for money - and its clear he doesn't understand ingredient costs.

 

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5 minutes ago, Anthony Bonner said:

 

hes not complaining that an appetizer is 28 dollars, he's complaining that two shrimp are 28 dollars.  He's happy to recommend a 39 dollar burger. 

 

Right. And I can't afford either, so don't feel as strongly. I am still curious what impact a Robert Sietsema review in Eater will have on a restaurant that is turning people away because it is so popular. Does it even matter? 

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It matters when criticism sucks.

I know @Orik disagrees with this, but the point of criticism isn't to drive business to or away from the criticism's subjects.  The point of criticism is the be part of a stream of knowledgeable discourse, participating in the development of the general subject matter of the criticism.  (It pisses off creators to be told that critics also participate in the development of their form, but tough shit:  critics do.)

So ignorant shit like Sietsema writes when he leaves his beat isn't mainly bad because it hurts (or helps in some cases when he ignorantly praises someplace) the places he reviews.  It's mainly bad because it's bad criticism, degrading the discourse about food and food culture.

Edited by Sneakeater
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1 hour ago, backyardchef said:

 

Right. And I can't afford either, so don't feel as strongly. I am still curious what impact a Robert Sietsema review in Eater will have on a restaurant that is turning people away because it is so popular. Does it even matter? 

From the business or guest aspect - Eater is not very influential but it is the most popular of its class (non paywalled, non fact checked, PR driven) so in the long term it means many people who could easily afford dinner at the restaurant won't come because that's what they can read without paying for nytimes/new yorker/grub street. I'm not losing sleep over it and I feel like having my name in The Post is, well, something.

From Sneak's perspective (which I don't disagree with, I just don't think it's debased by reviews having a consumer guide component), yeah it's just incredibly poorly done as a critical piece. 

For reference, Sietsema and his companion spent $68/person on food for bread, shrimp, tartare, pig's ear, goat, and dessert. Without the prawns it'd have been $54 pp for a full meal. 

I'm not going to compare the value proposition to other places in town but I can say on the aggregate our food cost is 40% higher than average.

image.thumb.png.5428b0f61a4f9130435effd2f6b73b71.png

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29 minutes ago, Orik said:

From the business or guest aspect - Eater is not very influential but it is the most popular of its class (non paywalled, non fact checked, PR driven) so in the long term it means many people who could easily afford dinner at the restaurant won't come because that's what they can read without paying for nytimes/new yorker/grub street. I'm not losing sleep over it and I feel like having my name in The Post is, well, something.

From Sneak's perspective (which I don't disagree with, I just don't think it's debased by reviews having a consumer guide component), yeah it's just incredibly poorly done as a critical piece. 

For reference, Sietsema and his companion spent $68/person on food for bread, shrimp, tartare, pig's ear, goat, and dessert. Without the prawns it'd have been $54 pp for a full meal. 

I'm not going to compare the value proposition to other places in town but I can say on the aggregate our food cost is 40% higher than average.

image.thumb.png.5428b0f61a4f9130435effd2f6b73b71.png

I am not surprised by the food cost at all. I'm also not surprised that Eater thinks owner's margins should be even slimmer than they already are. It's hard to take them seriously. They have always been a place that just repurposes press releases as journalism. 

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18 hours ago, Sneakeater said:

It matters when media suck.

But I think media you adore sucks. I think food you adore sucks. I think everyone is fallible. 

 

eta... I am not trying to be confrontational with you at all. This issue is definitely one that I feel strongly about as far as trying to respect differing points of view without righteous certainty clouding it. 

Edited by backyardchef
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