MARCH 26, 2008
“What’s your favorite restaurant?”
That’s the question I get fairly often from readers of the Eatbeat. And I am at a loss to name any one favorite place. It depends on what I am seeking. I like the light breakfast at Perkins. I would go to Al’s for meatloaf and to North Side Cafe for egg rolls. I think the liver pâté at Whitey’s is very good. I like the waiters at Sanders. Very proper, you know. ’l Bistro at Canad Inn has some very nice items. I could go on and on.
Grand Forks has an eclectic array of eating places. And I try to describe them so that readers can get an idea of the choices. I also describe restaurants in area towns and sometimes in cities I visit on my travels.
In the past, I have said this is not New York City, and I am not a critic. This is Grand Forks, and I am a reporter. I have attended sessions on writing reviews at conventions of newspaper food editors. I regularly read restaurant reviews in major newspapers.
In the beginning, this restaurant column was called Out to Lunch. Then, it branched out into the Eatbeat. It started out in the food section and moved briefly to the entertainment section. And in recent years, it is back on the Wednesday food page.
I visit restaurants at my own personal expense. Sometimes, owners offer to take my check, but I do not accept free meals or free food. When I explain that would not be professional and would not leave me feeling free to write what I think, they say they understand. They usually appreciate that.
First of all, I concentrate on the food. I try to describe the taste and the quality. I take note of the place and describe the ambience and the surroundings. I like to tell of the specials. I often check the restroom because I think it indicates the condition of the establishment. I try to point out the pluses and minuses of a visit to each restaurant.
Then, after I have eaten, I often talk to the manager or call them on the telephone. That way I am sure of my impressions, and I can get the facts about the staff and the business. Sometimes, these visits turn up interesting sidelights on the restaurant or the people involved in it.
Friends and acquaintances often talk of things they like or dislike about restaurants. One friend goes crazy when she sees a restaurant employee wipe the seat of a booth or a chair and then use the same cloth to wipe the table. Some people don’t like to be called “you guys.” Some people complain about food not being hot enough. At times, it is annoying when diners are asked over and over again if everything is all right. One man I know is put off by servers who have hair flowing all over with no attempt at restraints. He likes a cap or a ponytail.
Some of my pet peeves are plastic glasses that have grown weary from the dishwasher and napkins that are so skimpy it takes four or five to do the job of one good-quality napkin. I like fairly good quality tableware. It doesn’t have to be Royal Danish silver, though.
Most servers are more than considerate. Most of them are quite friendly and go the extra mile. They split orders. They hand out take-home boxes. Servers have their wish lists, too. They would like it if people would pay attention when they describe the specials and not keep asking over and over again. They would like people to order, and not to try to be comedians. They appreciate proper tips. One local restaurateur says the 10 percent tipper is a vanishing breed. Guides talk of 20 percent tips, but 15 percent seems not too shabby around here.