Is it fair to critique?
I was wondering... is it even right to be judgemental about New Orleans restaurants right now? Many people I've talked to that manage or own restaurants say that their staffs are a mere skeleton of what they used to be because of the storm and the exodus it caused by employees. Even now, two years have passed and people are ditching town because of all the other problems in the aftermath of the storm and it is impossible to keep a steady crew. This has occured in the big restaurants that are held in high esteem and the local joints too. Should we hold back on forums like this because of this when we write our reviews?
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>>> Should we hold back on forums like this because of this when we write our reviews? <<<
No.
Obviously Katrina made a difference in the life of the city, to its businesses, and to its residents. There can be no denying the impact of such devistation. (My house was severely damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake, and I figure I can appreciate perhaps 10% -- if even that much -- of what the people in New Orleans must have had to endure.
But if you look at your name below the text of your post, there appears just to the right a date/time stamp. Anyone reading your review of "Chez Cache Phloe Bistro" can easily see it's post-Katrina.
Jason
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Is it fair that I spend my hard-earned dollar and not get the food and service I have every right to expect at the price point?
So yes, I think it's fair to critique, primarily to let other chowhounds know, because virtually everyone has to pick and choose, and we all want to make the best choices possible ... and also to let the restaurant know if they're paying attention.
I had so many good service people when I visited that I cannot believe the difficult labor market is preventing any restaurant from offering the level of service they want to. Training's pretty important, and that can be imported. But it has to be the right training (psst, it's not all about the arrangement of spoons and forks).
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I was taught that a place cannot fix something if it does not know something is wrong. You can argue that there should be safeguards preventing bad food from exiting the kitchen and you might be right..and in the bigger houses your waiter should not let the stuff out of the kitchen door if it is poor--but that is, as suggested earlier,the art of service. But I think that a restaurant SHOULD be told if something is wrong and it should be critiqued publically for problems. I would not pull any punches but I would be mindful of the problems.
When a city has had a culture of food and of lifetime waiters as we have had, it is hard to live in the Post K world. Some places have bounced back good as ever--others (and we know who they are) are on the brink of extinction.
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re: Frolic
You raise a good point...I was thinking, in my limited way, of the Old Libe places. But even in New York the service is not what it used to be...too often one encounters the type that William hamilton immortalized in one of his cartoons wherein the smiling waiter is leaning over the customer at meal's end and asks "tell me, sir, that fine line bentween "gracious attendance" and "fawning obsequiosness".....how close did I come?"
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re: Frolic
As a periodic visitor to New Orleans, I have to say that in *some* places, service may not be up to "New York or San Francisco standards," but in most restaurants, the service -- both pre-and post-Katrina has been fine, and fits the establishment. For example, Lilette is more casual than August; Bistro Martinique is more casual than Bayona; and Cafe du Monde is -- well, Cafe du Monde. The only place where I would say service was outright poor was Stella!, and that was pre-Katrina (no excuse).
But I'll be back there -- to New Orleans, not Stella! -- in October for my second (third?) post-Katrina visit, so I'll see for myself how things are going on the "service side" of things.
Jason
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re: Sobe
Adrienne
Aug 18, 2007 04:12 PM
Exactly! Plenty of restaurants are still doing a great job. But this website isn't really designed to be a venting ground for those who felt their service was imperfect (though it is used that way sometimes) -- it is designed for people who like food to help each other find good places to eat. That hasn't changed, and really, because since the storm things have been hit or miss, this site is even more necessary so that when places are doing a great job, more chowhounds can find out and patronize those restaurants.
So I think it is reasonable to "hold back" in terms of ranting about how you were served the wrong cocktail, which I have occasionally seen on this board, but I think that using this as a place to recommend restaurants is as useful as ever.
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It depends: if the restaurant's pricing point is unchanged, then you have every right to expect the same quality of food on the place & the same standard of preparation from the kitchen. Regarding service, I still tend to be a little forgiving (in person)....good service is an art; so many variables come into play and we do have a diminished labor pool. When posting, I always call it like I see/experience it. If it was bad, I say so.
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I think it depends on how good or bad the meals are.
Value for Money is still expected.
We've been back several times, and aren't into the dining experience. Really, we never were, but could always appreciate lunch at Commanders. And part of the art of that meal were Jamie's soups. Great creations made from whatever was available. My husband who will not even try spinach or oysters not only ordered but devoured the Oysters Rockafeller soup at Commanders, just because he knew that they never served a bad soup.
Now if that has changed, it should be noted. Or if it's inconsistant, it also deserves to be noted.New Orleans makes major $$$ on high end eateries. But the smaller ones are the gems that deserve to be talked about both for good and bad.
