What Does it Take to be a Restaurant Critic?

One of the most over-served markets these days are people who dine out. Twenty years ago, the reviews on restaurants were almost exclusively the domain of newspapers and some food-specific magazines. These days however, with the advent of user-generated websites there has been an explosion of restaurant criticism.

So that leads to the question: what does it take to be a restaurant critic?

Well, in my case I grew up in a restaurant-centric family, and learned by observing an amazingly talented chef. This allowed me to develop a palate which has served me well over the years. I also worked in the restaurant biz in a variety of jobs: from busser to server. I got to see good restaurants from the front to the back of the house. That being said, does that qualify me to be a critic? The answer, surprisingly, is only partially yes.

What really does, I think, qualify me to be a critic is a tremendous passion for all manners of cuisine and the art of the cooking process. What also helps is that I have literally dined at restaurants all over the US and around the world, and tasted so many different cuisines. Additionally, I believe I’m a pretty decent writer and can communicate my thoughts about food in an engaging and evocative style.

Finally, the ultimate litmus test though is this: if I send you to a restaurant based on my review, is your experience positive? Thus far, in 12 years of hosting this site, and having reviews on KLBJ Radio, FOX-7 and KVUE-TV I’ve had very few people tell me that their experience did not match mine. And to me, that’s the ultimate credential and accolade.

So that’s my view. If your take is accurate and reliable (based hopefully on multiple dining and wining experiences), if you have that passion I discussed earlier, and you have a reasonable palate, and you are a decent writer; you have as much right, and certainly (these days) the ability to post reviews almost anywhere you please. Unfortunately, the ability to post almost anywehere on the internet does not presume the aforementioned qualities, thus causing potential confusion for readers. And as is with all of us who do this, if your advice is almost always spot-on, and your style is engaging, you’ll develop a following. It’s really that simple.

So bon appetit, and write on!