Sorry Marge, I'm afraid this gets my lowest rating ever. Seven thumbs up.

Eater has decided to drop the star system from their reviews. Critic Ryan Sutton writes a long essay explaining what led them to drop this restaurant criticism tradition. I'll be honest, I put off reading this for a bit because I wasn’t sure what I would think. 

The essay is extremely thoughtful. It talks about the benefits and perils of the star system. While they feel old fashioned, many readers and restaurateurs actually want a star attached to a review. They are legitimately helpful tools that reflect how restaurant criticism is, at its core, about telling people if they should eat somewhere or not.

However, stars are absurdly reductive. They made a lot of sense when every restaurant being reviewed was similar (white tablecloth, vaguely continental). But our idea of what is “reviewable” is expanding. While two stars for a place like Per Se is an insult, two stars for a taco truck might be a triumph! So the scale falls apart. It’s also impossible to separate stars from the underlying structures that push them towards keeping marginalized groups out of the conversation around great food. 

I put off reading this because I was worried Eater was dropping stars because of “unprecedented times” (Sutton mentions this, but it’s clear this is a broader set of questions) and that this was part of a “no negative reviews” movement. 

The thing is, I love bad reviews and think they are important. I don’t want the New York Times to slam some mom & pop diner, but the best negative reviews pop pretense and provide context that help us understand food (or anything they are reviewing) better. They help us know more and think better about the thing they are critiquing. 

But negative reviews are getting less popular. I loved Dorian Lynskey’s essay “The dying art of the hatchet job”. While more focused on film and TV criticism, Lynsky outlines the attacks critics who go negative now face. He even name-checks one of my favorite books, Roger Ebert’s “I hated, hated, hated this movie”, which features a review of Dead Poets Society so negative and insightful it made me realize a movie I loved was not good! The article mentions the Bambi quote “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”. That’s really just an excuse for me to link to Tom Scocca’s On Smarm, one of the most important essays of our time. It’s the best defense of criticism and snark ever written. 

I realize now it was no coincidence that Eater published their essay about their new star system alongside Sutton’s pan of Eleven Madison Park’s vegan menu. It was their way of saying, “stars may be gone, but standards are not.” 
Eater has decided to drop the star system from their reviews. Critic Ryan Sutton writes a long essay explaining what brought them to this decision. I put off reading this for a bit because I wasn’t sure what I would think.

The essay is extremely thoughtful. It talks about the benefits and perils of the star system. While they feel old fashioned, many readers and restaurateurs actually want a star system. They are legitimately helpful tools that reflect how restuarant criticism is, at its core, about telling people if they should eat somewhere or not.

However, stars are absurdly reductive. Stars made a lot of sense when every restaurant being reviewed was similar (white tablecloth, vaguely continental). But out idea of what is “reviewable” is expanding. While two stars for a place like Per Se is an insult, two stars for a taco truck might be a triumph! So the scale falls apart. It’s also impossible to separate stars from the underlying structures that push them towards keeping marginalized groups out of the conversation around great food.

The main reason I put off reading this essay was because I was worried. I thought Eater was dropping stars because of “unprecedented times” and that this was part of a “no negative reviews” movement (Sutton mentions this, but it’s clear this decision is part of a broader set of questions).

I love bad reviews and I think they are important. I don’t want the New York Times to slam some mom & pop diner, but the best negative reviews pop pretense and provide context that help us understand food (or anything they are reviewing) better. They help us know more and think better about the thing they are critiquing.

But negative reviews are getting less popular. I loved Dorian Lynskey’s essay “The dying art of the hatchet job”. While more focused on film and TV criticism, Lynsky outlines the attacks critics who go negative now face. He even name-checks one of my favorite books, Roger Ebert’s “I hated, hated, hated this movie”, which features a review of Dead Poets Society so negative and insightful it made me realize a movie I loved was not good! Lynskey also mentions the Bambi quote “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”. That’s really just an excuse for me to link to Tom Scocca’s On Smarm, one of the most important essays of our time. It’s the best defense of criticism and snark ever written.

I realize now it was no coincidence that Eater published an essay about their new star system alongside Sutton’s pan of Eleven Madison Park’s vegan menu. It was their way of saying, “stars may be gone, but standards are not.”

My bologna has a first name: it’s Justice. 

“Welcome! Have you guys dined with us before? Wonderful, then you’ll know what to expect, just a quick reminder that everything is a little bit burned here, so whatever you order, do be advised, it’s going to be a little bit burned.” 

Pandemic lockdown, urban nostalgia for the countryside, and a new generation of entrepreneurs have created social media mega-stars out of Chinese farmers. Farmers are live-streaming and using integrated ecommerce features to sell their produce directly to consumers. You’re telling me you don’t want to read about “Brother Pomegranate”?.

This article is framed as a serious look at how residents of a public housing complex on COVID lockdown are only allowed to buy or receive as a gift a set amount of alcohol per day. Serious concerns about paternalism, and then you read that that’s either 6 beers, a bottle of wine, or 375 ml of booze! Did I mention it’s Australia? Did I have to? 

Friend of the Cart Max Falkowitz has a great long story for Imbibe about sustainability in the bar and spirits industry. This is one of the better stories I’ve read about sustainability in any industry. Falkowitz profiles some optimistic, gee whiz stuff but then gets serious about how real change will require major regulatory and society-wide investments. 

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New York

If you read one thing this week: It’s hard not to hate a platform like DoorDash after reading Josh Dzieza’s long feature in New York Magazine about the current state of delivery workers in Manhattan. They are still poorly paid and at the whims of profit-stealing algorithms, but a larger number are starting to organize. The thing that broke my heart was the photo of a worker delivering a single pint of ice cream during Hurricane Ida - think before you order. 

In more DoorDash news, the delivery company is suing to prevent a New York City law that would force food delivery apps like these to turn over customer data to the restaurants themselves. I side with Eater, who makes it pretty clear where they stand by calling DoorDash a parasite.

The Met Gala is the most glamorous event of the year, but I’ve always secretly suspected that it’s absolutely miserable to attend. A bit of that leaked out this year when actress and singer Keke Palmer posted a picture of her dinner plate on Instagram. I’ll just say Fyre Festival comparisons were invoked. 

I find fall restaurant previews extremely overwhelming, but they are a nice sign of the seasons changing. 

Pete Wells drops by Soothr in the East Village. He loves this small spot, which has grown from a simple place serving bowls of noodles to a more ambitious menu of regional Thai dishes. I learned a lot reading this review, especially about “dry soups,” which is a concept I’ve struggled to understand. 

Craving Mexico City-style choricera tacos? You can find this specialty in a new place in Greenpoint. 

Actor Michael K. Williams passed away and a clip of him and Anthony Bourdain eating Caribbean food in Crown Heights made the rounds. It’s lovely, but sad. Even the restaurant Gloria’s, where the two eat during this clip, is not longer around.

Chicago

The Tribune profiles Emily Groden, CEO and Founder of Evergreen, a frozen waffle startup. The article focuses on her background as a lawyer and food enthusiast, and I wish it said a little more about what makes her waffles better than Eggo (Which are a perfect food). 

Chicago Reader highlights Nobody’s Darling, a new cocktail bar in Andersonville that’s drawing notice from across the city. It’s only the second Black-owned queer bar in Chicago and trying to become a place for everyone. 

The City of Chicago has passed a law saying that restaurants can only include plastic utensils with take-out orders if customers specifically request them. Big news for those of us who travel with our own spork. 

According to Nick Kindelsperger, the best deep dish pizza in Chicago is located in Cary, Illinois. Uncle Jerry’s Pizza Company is the passion project of Jerry Czerwinski, a Chicago native who didn’t love the options in his new home of Cary. This is a great read to learn more about the science of what makes a good deep dish. 

It looks as if Louisa Chu is also writing full-fledged reviews for the Chicago Tribune. Chu reviews Milk Money Brewing, where the food far outshines the beer. Chu gets the owner to confess that they were planning a restaurant first before they started making beer. This review was OK but could have been a bit shorter (there’s a lot more menu listing than it needed).

Boston

I’m not particularly interested in the “Key Lime Martini” special, but this spotlight on Double T’s Tavern in Marlborough is lovely. I love the idea of a modern-ish place serving Armenian specialities. 

WGBH checks in with Chef Anthony Caldwell of 50Kitchen in Field’s Corner. Caldwell has an amazing life story, going from prison to born-again to winning a neighborhood pitch contest and opening the restaurant of his dreams. As inspiring as it is, it’s also nice to hear him speak honestly about the challenges of his dream job. 

The thing I’m most excited about coming back post-pandemic: Food-specific local festivals. See you in CT for the Garlic Fest.

Los Angeles

KCRW’s tortilla tournament is back. Most of the results are predictable, with one huge upset: Trader Joe’s has seriously upped their tortilla game and dethroned the #2 seat La Talpense.

LA Taco profiles El Sauz. This Long Beach institution is open until 3 am every night. You’ll find all sorts rubbing elbows as they grab tacos de tripa, suadero, and a number of other classics.

Have you seen a viral Tik Tok about freshly fried quesadillas that, when split open, leaked rivers of melted cheese? It might be Antojitos La Cosa Nuestra, a long-time mom and pop quesadilla stand on Vermont and 27th. LA Taco tells the history of the spot as well as how viral fame brought challenges and opportunities.

Jenn Harris samples the food at the new SoFI stadium. Verdict? It’s fine. I do love that that the food stands are named after the Los Angeles streets that prominently feature that food (i.e. the Mexican food stand is named Olvera Street). 

Bill Addison reviews Mama Lina Cooks, a pop-up serving home cooked Lebanese food. Addison points out that these are new dishes for a lot of diners, as traditional Lebanese home cooking is very distinct from what you would eat at a restaurant.

Out of Context J. Gold of the Week

Don’t miss the smoky dendeng belado, sliced beef fried until it reaches the size, shape and crunchiness of a Pringle, with a searing chile dip. - link