Happy Lunar New Year! My favorite excuse to eat excessive amounts of dim sum. Wanna hear about another new thing that I like? It’s…
DALL-E's painting of me taking notes while I eat in a fancy restaurant. It's... ok.
new categories for the Amateur Eater! I introduce to you, Worth A Try and Solid Choice.
Now, I have a simple rating system and I don’t take messing with it lightly. But over the last two years of reviews, I’ve struggled to adequately capture the difference between certain “Liked It” restaurants. Sometimes, they were casual, go-to spots. Tried and true, I’d frequent these establishments often, but wasn’t head over heels in love with the food or the vibe. But other times I was reviewing places like Koloman, Jungsik, or Don Angie. Places where the food was exceptional, you would tell everyone to go there, but it wasn’t a new favorite restaurant. I may have loved the meal, but that doesn’t mean I’m dying to go back tomorrow.
Thus, a splitting of categories.
So what makes a restaurant Worth a Try? Well, it’s probably serving up some incredibly tasty food in a fabulous atmosphere, but you’re not going to be a regular here. Perhaps this restaurant is hella expensive (like, way too much of your paycheck just went to that dinner expensive). Or maybe it’s ridiculously hard to get into; going twice is simply unrealistic. Perhaps it’s just not a cuisine you’d eat often. Whatever the reason, you’re probably only going to check this spot out once. It’s the perfect item to add to your restaurant checklist.
A Solid Choice, on the other hand, is just that. A good meal without too much fuss. You may not remember eating it in a few weeks, but you won't regret it either. These restaurants are your neighborhood repeats, your takeout go-to's, or places you'll inevitably walk into last minute to fix that oddly specific hankering for oysters (no? just me?). When in doubt, a Solid Choice is a good plan.
Alas, I'll miss the days of "a simple 3 point rating system", but I hope you'll trust me here.
Honestly yours,
The Amateur Eater
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