Here we go! So like any good food critic I figured I would need a few guidelines to judge the who, what, when, and where of each featured restaurant. Below are the key things I will be commenting on as well as the rating system. For now I will use the proverbial star system, but in the future I hope to get a little more creative.
Rating System
***** = Couldn't live without it
**** = Damn good
*** = Good but not great
** = Just ok
* = Don't order
What I am Watching
Atmosphere = What I feel when I walk in and sit down
Service = Pet peeve alert, I expect good service because that is a servers job. Totally understandable if a server admits, like one did to us yesterday, "we are totally in the weeds so it might take a little longer," I get it!
Food/Beverage = This is what it's all about. I will mainly talk about food here, but on occasion I have a cocktail or wine and will include it here. (probably will be no help to any heavy drinkers because I don't really know anything about wine or alcohol)
Dessert = Yes, this gets it's own category and yes, I always get dessert after dinner or sometimes before.
Overall experience = The little things that I either really like or thought were really annoying.
So this is how it will work. I am open to suggestions of additional things to watch for so let me know. I have some really great reviews coming up...stay tuned!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
2012: Year of the Do
Some of you may or may not know that my partner of five years and I are finally getting married in September. As 2012 was approaching, we decided that it was going to be the "year of the DO." Meaning, everything we say we are going to do, we're, wait for it, actually going to DO IT! And surprisingly enough, we have been pretty successful at it.
One of the things we do best is eat and I am a horrible cook so when we get good food it's typically when we are eating out or at someone elses house. So naturally, in the "year of the do" we will be dinning at some pretty amazing places and possibly some not so amazing places. Along with our passion for dinning, we also have a passion for analyzing and that is what happens when we dine, we take EVERYTHING in and discuss. A couple of years ago, while eating out, I mentioned, it would be hilarious if I was a food critic and this guy (the waiter, who was pretty awful) had no idea! And that's how Jane Doe: Foodie came about. I'm out there dinning undercover and no one has any idea that I am looking at every detail. The idea has been in my head since and I thought, hey, it's the "year of the do" and I should do it, I should start my blog.
Now, I am no idiot when it comes to these food blogs. I have been scouring them for years, and I know I am not coming up with a new idea here. But I do think, after working in restaurants for 8 years, I have a pretty great grasp of what's awesome and what's not. Soooo...I hope you enjoy and read a little here and there about our year. It's for sure going to be the best year of my life and I would love it if you came along with me on our culinary journey!
One of the things we do best is eat and I am a horrible cook so when we get good food it's typically when we are eating out or at someone elses house. So naturally, in the "year of the do" we will be dinning at some pretty amazing places and possibly some not so amazing places. Along with our passion for dinning, we also have a passion for analyzing and that is what happens when we dine, we take EVERYTHING in and discuss. A couple of years ago, while eating out, I mentioned, it would be hilarious if I was a food critic and this guy (the waiter, who was pretty awful) had no idea! And that's how Jane Doe: Foodie came about. I'm out there dinning undercover and no one has any idea that I am looking at every detail. The idea has been in my head since and I thought, hey, it's the "year of the do" and I should do it, I should start my blog.
Now, I am no idiot when it comes to these food blogs. I have been scouring them for years, and I know I am not coming up with a new idea here. But I do think, after working in restaurants for 8 years, I have a pretty great grasp of what's awesome and what's not. Soooo...I hope you enjoy and read a little here and there about our year. It's for sure going to be the best year of my life and I would love it if you came along with me on our culinary journey!