Should food critics possess the power they do?

Why read them when you can just click on Yelp or Google?

At work this weekend I found myself having an interesting conversation with two restaurant consultant friends of mine. They’d told me about a horrible dining experience where they waited over two hours for their mains while receiving inattentive service. This happened because the staff was focused on making sure the two local restaurant critics beside them were being properly waited on.

I’ve heard of and witnessed this firsthand before. This begs me to wonder: should food critics possess the power they do?

To write a long-winded “critique” of a restaurant takes time, effort, and the ability to look at things objectively, but with one catch — to capture any type of credibility a writer should have the ability to assess quality. Unfortunately, not many have that. So why does my opinion even matter? I write this noting full well the recommendations I share with you here. So there is a small level of hypocrisy with my asking this question.

Nevertheless, garnering this type of clout where folks believe what you’re saying — Alexandra Gill or Jonathan Gold come to mind — takes placement, that of a national and credible publication, and luck.

But why read them when you can just click on Yelp or Google and find hundreds of reviews for the same restaurant that are, likely, more open-minded despite their shitty grammar?

Alexandra Gill, who wasn’t one of the two cited above, and other noteworthy food critics have careers because they have access to the culinary world most don’t. They seem to know the characters, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how best to deploy them to the public. There is an appeal in what they offer. I see that.

However, gone should be the days when a restaurant would cringe at the sight of an Alexandra Gill. With photos being snapped on Instagram and reviews being written on Yelp by the masses at every table, restaurants face the daunting task of being scrutinized not by one individual anymore, but by many.

Everyone should be treated the same, even if the reality of that statement isn’t true.

I’m sure I’ve benefitted from special treatment before due to my role as a journalist in this city and I’d hate to learn my experience came at the cost of another. I’m not special in that regard and never hope to be.

I laud the anonymity of a Pete Wells and pray more do so as well.