Everyone is a critic.....

Amen, Carla.

I'm happy to read everyone's opinions; I can decide for myself if I agree with them or not. But, whether they choose to particpate in a critical manner is their choice and fails to affect me in any manner. I hardly think it's anyone's business if someone should choose to critique food, sports, movies, books, whatever. It's not like we're discussing the practice of medicine or something that only people with formal training can understand. It's food. I may not know what the "very best food in the world" is, but I know what I like, and by golly I'm going to say what it is!

[Robin Garr]

Good posts, Carla and Beth.

I may not know what the "very best food in the world" is, but I know what I like, and by golly I'm going to say what it is!

Okay, what DO you like?

Amen, Carla.

I'm happy to read everyone's opinions; I can decide for myself if I agree with them or not. But, whether they choose to particpate in a critical manner is their choice and fails to affect me in any manner. I hardly think it's anyone's business if someone should choose to critique food, sports, movies, books, whatever. It's not like we're discussing the practice of medicine or something that only people with formal training can understand. It's food. I may not know what the "very best food in the world" is, but I know what I like, and by golly I'm going to say what it is!

Yes, this is a free country & I believe in a persons freedom of speech but....
I'd like to see how you react if someone critiqued the job you do on a daily basis and then posted it on a public forum. Especially if they have no idea what it takes to do what you do. Also, it's not 'just food'. It's how alot of us make a living. It's our livelyhood, our passion, our way of life! And when people openly bash a place b/c they don't like it then yes, I take it personally (weather its my place or someone elses).

[Robin Garr]

Yes, this is a free country & I believe in a persons freedom of speech but....
I'd like to see how you react if someone critiqued the job you do on a daily basis and then posted it on a public forum. Especially if they have no idea what it takes to do what you do. Also, it's not 'just food'. It's how alot of us make a living. It's our livelyhood, our passion, our way of life! And when people openly bash a place b/c they don't like it then yes, I take it personally (weather its my place or someone elses).

Bradley, with all respect, this is a place - really Louisville's primary place - where foodies and food-industry people can come together to talk about our shared passion for food and drink. It's best when it's fun, but in all fairness, criticism is part of the game, and everyone is entitled to participate in it. We'll stomp on unfair criticism (bashing by competitors, for instance, or potentionally actionable charges that can't be backed up), but by and large, yes, everyone here really IS a critic, and that's what makes the forum work.

As a guy who's spent at least very limited time in the front and back of the house over a long and wacky career, I can tell you that if you're going to be in the restaurant business, it does help to develop a reasonably thick skin.

As to negative comments: there are countless examples on this board of restaurant operators/owners taking advantage of a negative experience to "make it right" with the poster. Not all negativity is necessarily received poorly.

Bradley please don't take me wrong and please don't mistake a critique for an insult. Restaurants, theatre, music art and other venues are routinly reviewed regarding enjoyment levels. It's a good thing; it's how we hone our skills and improve our craft regardless of the art medium. Some of us DO get routinely reviewed on our work and it directly reflects in the income we make. Not everyone is qualified to critique every job, that's true, but we're talking about food here and unless some of the forum members are on regular IV drips, well then, we're eating. And we know what taste good and what doesn't. Food happens to be one of the few things in life that everyone is qualified to opine on.

Bradley, I'm an attorney. Therefore people critique what I do every second of the day, in every forum possible. I would vetnure to say that a large portion of the population has very strong opinions about lawyers and the practice of law. I would also venture to say that a large portion of those people are unfamiliar about the nuances involved with that practice. If I took every lawyer-bashing comment I heard (about myself or another) personally, I imagine that I would hate practically the entire world.

Just for the record, I never said "just food." I would never place a "just" in front of the word "food." That would be blasphemy in my book! (mmmm, foooood.)
But remember, everyone eats. You don't have to be a chef to have tastebuds and an opinion about food. I would hope that most people who enjoy cooking do so to bestow their talent upon the general public, not just those with formal culinary training.

I think that it's usually pretty easy to pick out the people on this forum who have ulterior motives when they post negative things. (I'm assuming that's what you meant by "openly bashing a place b/c they don't like it") I don't think that people on this forum are shy about about pointing stuff like that out. That usually means that the troll gets called out and then never returns to repost. Good. I've seen plenty of people on here jump to the aid of a restaurant they enjoy that is being bashed and I think those posts are often more convincing than the person who does the bashing. I also think that most people on this forum totally understand what it takes to be a chef - that's why we all eat out so much, because we love what you guys do!

I see said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw......... Everyone has the critic in them , it's natural for some to like and dislike. whats all the fuss. bad date, bad night, full moon; blame it on the chef....I think most of us that cook for a living try to do our best each and every time. I should mention that I am not a chef, "yet" . Not going to culinary school,"been there done that for a brief moment". just learning, absorbing, remembering every detail I have touched,tasted and burnt on occasion. I welcome criticisim....