290454 Thu Oct 03 13:36:49 -0700 2002 15 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1576629 If this has been asked before, I apologize. I'm curious. Do chefs, owners, and such read the posts on Chowhound? And if so, do they care about what is said? I've seen a few random posts here and there from owners and such with personal questions (what to do about rude customers, etc...) but never a direct response to comments about their restaurants. Is that taboo here? Like I said, just curious. Thu Oct 03 13:36:49 -0700 2002 0 sistert 1 1576636 I have been contacted through my personal email by two well-known restaurants here in Washington, D.C. about my posts to the D.C. board. Neither of these posts, by the way, were very negative...just kind of neutral. In both cases, I responded to their inquiries by more fully explaining my praises and my criticisms. Neither time did I hear back or receive a thank you for responding in kind. Thu Oct 03 14:13:47 -0700 2002 1576629 0 Pappy 2 1576647 We have no rule against restaurants emailing our users in a personal friendly way. But if you ever receive blatant or repeated spam from a restaurant, or are harassed for having posted a negative opinion, by all means forward a copy to webmaster@chowhound.com and one of us here will take a look. Thu Oct 03 15:17:41 -0700 2002 1576636 2 The Chowhound Team 1 1576645 I know of a few NYC chefs/owners who peruse the site - they seem to respect the chowhound vibe, which stresses deliciousness and 'authenticity' over trendy/foodie spots. The notion that amatuer reviewers are critiquing their restaurants (both favorably and unfavorably) and that it's a word of mouth thing isn't lost on them because a lot of restaurants never get reviewed, especially the more chowish places....that said, some posters can get overzealous, post with major biases, misinformation, etc, which can get annoying for restaurant folks, since most established reviewers keep the editorializing to a minimum. There are also the occasional shills that post to the site in abject support of their own restaurant, but we are all pretty wary of their practice and are usually adept at sniffing them out. Good question though....I imagine as the site gains popularity more and more are coming here to keep tabs on their "reviews" - a lot of times, hounds will let on to management/waitpeople that they're at a restaurant because of Chowhound, so eventually, you'd think interests must be getting piqued.... THM Thu Oct 03 15:11:45 -0700 2002 1576629 0 THM 2 1576662 I got a nice e-mail from Tabla in NYC after saying nice things about their menu during Restaurant Week. So I know at least some of them do peruse the site. Thu Oct 03 16:11:25 -0700 2002 1576645 0 LisaLou 2 1576669 >a lot of times, hounds will let on to >management/waitpeople that they're at a restaurant >because of Chowhound I know I've done this at a local Afghan kabob restaurant because they asked how I located them (they were trying to see which of their ads were working). They seemed curious about this "Chowhound thing". Thu Oct 03 16:23:38 -0700 2002 1576645 0 sistert 3 1576672 The only problem with this is that restaurateurs - especially ones with weak English skills - might come to the site and, misunderstanding what we're about, start posting hype. Especially if they don't use an email address, that can be hard for us to address. Really, it's better to mostly send your fellow chowhounds to the site. We're a consumer forum, really, aside from the exceptions noted in our previous posting (which require some cybersophistication to understand). ciao Thu Oct 03 16:42:10 -0700 2002 1576669 2 The Chowhound Team 2 1576745 One always has to assume that there are some shills on any web site. The beauty of Chowhound is that people go to the places posted and give their opinions. So even if some shill writes a rave review other Chowhounds will either confirm the review or tell the truth and the truth will win out. I am a real Barqeque fan. Let's say that Danny Meyers or one of his publisists wrote a rave for Blue Smoke. Chowhounders have by and large not been enthusiatic. So I have not been there yet. Now the reviews seem to be improving, but still do not think highly of the place. I still have many other places to go before I spend my money there. Thankfully, I have not seen anything that looks like a marketing campaign on Chowhound. I guess it is still too obscure to rate a wholehearted marketing campaign. I am glad about that. Fri Oct 04 10:09:12 -0700 2002 1576645 0 Edward Aretz 3 1576774 It's not that obscure - I mean, it's been written about in every major food magazine and tons of newspapers (I know because I've looked at the press clips page). I think most people, restaurateurs included, respect the rules and mission of Chowhound to be non-hypey and noncommercial when it comes to food purveyers. But, as the Chowhound Team noted below, sometimes people do shill in a major way. It's just that the moderators are really, really good at catching and wiping out those rare campaigns, another thing for us readers to be thankful for. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/chowmarket/index.html Fri Oct 04 12:50:25 -0700 2002 1576745 0 Caitlin McGrath 3 1576817 Save your money . Blue Smoke is not a bbq destination,yet. Fri Oct 04 16:55:06 -0700 2002 1576745 0 SLAP 1 1576649 Keep in mind that most people that work in restaurants, at all levels, are so busy that they don't have a lot of time to spend on the Internet... Thu Oct 03 15:24:30 -0700 2002 1576629 0 ironmom 1 1576655 We love insiders chiming in on broad issues; their experience and savvy is a most welcome addition to our discussion. We also welcome insiders posting about places they like to eat in (other than their own operations), on a strictly "civilian" basis - carefully disclosing if they're friends with management, etc. Chefs, restaurateurs, PR people, etc (and their family/friends) are among the most chowhoundish of people, and they're welcome to contribute on that basis. Insiders are NOT allowed to blow their own horns. They know this, and 99% are wonderfully diligent about resisting the urge. They know that an unbiased, unslaon-the-level forum for smart consumers to opine is important, and, ultimately, very much in their interest. There are many venues in which food businesses can broadcast their messages about what they do. We are a consumer forum. Also, we work extremely hard to sniff out "shills" (insiders touting their own places surreptitiously), and insiders are quite aware of how strict we are about this. Thu Oct 03 15:43:47 -0700 2002 1576629 2 The Chowhound Team 1 1576674 I've been to at least one place (maybe two, I can't remember) that have posted Chowhound reviews on their wall. Thu Oct 03 16:44:53 -0700 2002 1576629 0 SKU 2 1576743 I have told many restaurant owners that I found their establishment through Chowhound. I gave them the web address and have even sent them copies of posts. So the fact that some restaurant owners may post some of the comments does not mean that they read the site. P.S. The printouts I made have not been posted. Fri Oct 04 10:00:36 -0700 2002 1576674 0 Edward Aretz 1 1576686 I am a chef/restaurateur in Oregon who touches base with Chowhound every day! I recently closed my restaurant after a 13 season run and it is comforting to have the Chowhound family around. I even thought that I would be less reluctant to join in some of the threads in my non-professional capacity, but I'm still very careful (or still a professional!!). Thu Oct 03 17:49:42 -0700 2002 1576629 0 sue 1 1576707 I can give a resounding yes to that question--much to my pleasure. A little over a year ago, I posted a nice review of a local restaurant that my husband and I had been visiting for several years. A few days later I received an EMail from the owner of the restaurant telling me that a friend of his had mentioned a nice thread on Chowhound, so he had taken a look. When he noticed my name, he asked if I had been a science teacher at a Manhattan school in the 1970s, and if so, he wanted me to know that I had made an impression on a young teenage boy who still avidly reads the NY Times Science section. Needless to say, I made it my business to return to the restaurant soon after, to a wonderful greeting and a trip down memory lane. Thu Oct 03 23:15:00 -0700 2002 1576629 0 Marion Morgenthal