New CJ critic starts today ...

[Robin Garr]

Have you seen the review of Bistro 1860? What do you think?

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/en ... /12068541/

Interesting first foray. Anxious to see more.

Nice and safe to start your tenure with a love letter to a favorite, with a slap on the wrist for the scorched pastry to balance out the otherwise glowing review.

This read more like a straight food review, rather than a review of the full restaurant experience, but the CJ may not allow for too much verbosity and if you have to pick and choose in a review, I guess the food is what counts.

Again, anxious to see more.

Not bad. I was bothered by the affectation that she is just one of the folk who doesn't want to be considered a "foodie" while she has "high standards" and might be "overly critical". She throws in a gratuitous "gussied up" and seems to have the need to define "gastrique", but rolls on with "crema" and "confit". This makes the overall tone rather pretentious. My guess is that she was instructed to make the reviews accessible to a wider audience and hasn't quite figured out the balance.

She obviously loves food and I expect her writing style will improve.

[Robin Garr]

I'll be interested to hear what others thought.

Without regard to the content, tbough, I do have to muse that both Barry Binghams, father and son, are probably spinning merrily in their graves as a restaurant PR person takes the reviewer's pulpit.

Have you seen the review of Bistro 1860? What do you think?

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/en ... /12068541/

I guess the question that comes first to my mind is, what was wrong with the old critic ?

[Robin Garr]

I guess the question that comes first to my mind is, what was wrong with the old critic ?

They swap 'em out every few years whether there was anything wrong with them or not.

I guess the question that comes first to my mind is, what was wrong with the old critic ?

That nice deck chair proved ineffective at plugging the gaping hole in the side of the Titanic.

I'll be interested to hear what others thought.

Without regard to the content, tbough, I do have to muse that both Barry Binghams, father and son, are probably spinning merrily in their graves as a restaurant PR person takes the reviewer's pulpit.

Oh dear...she is a restaurant PR person? Notwithstanding the conflict of interest, she should be capable of writing more effectively.

(Shrugging) I don't know...
Can't say I found anything wrong with her review, but, like Ronnie D. mentioned, I did not feel as if I got a sense of the restaurant experience. I kept catching myself skimming the read and having to go back and re-read much of what she wrote. It was just rather dull. Like a blunt knife. But it's totally unfair to judge her chops on one review. Let's let her get her journalistic legs then see.

Didn't do a word count, but "I" (or "my" or "me") seemed way too common for my tastes. Agree we need to give her a few more swats at it before being too critical, though. And no one from the CJ called me to see if I wanted the gig.

[Robin Garr]

Didn't do a word count, but "I" (or "my" or "me") seemed way too common for my tastes. Agree we need to give her a few more swats at it before being too critical, though.

Yeah, in fairness, you're entitled to a few extra first-person pronouns when you are introducing yourself.

And no one from the CJ called me to see if I wanted the gig.

Count your blessings. They would have force-fed you the Kool-aid.

Yeah, in fairness, you're entitled to a few extra first-person pronouns when you are introducing yourself.

OK, fair enough. I'll count next time. (first time I've used a quote on the new platform - hope it works!)

[Robin Garr]

hope it works!)

Now it does.

first time I've used a quote on the new platform - hope it works!

Well, don't overdo it or LHB will look like Eater...

[Robin Garr]

Well, don't overdo it or LHB will look like Eater...

That ain't going to happen! Not unless we all turn into snide high-school students.