Editor’s Note: On Google Places, anyone can express their inner food critic by sharing thoughts on their favorite local restaurants with the world. But some reviews rise above the rest, and so we’ve sought out professional food writer and restaurant critic Rob Balon, of Dining Out with Rob Balon in Austin, Texas, to give us some pointers on how to write a review that will leave a reader’s tummy rumbling and mouth watering.
How did you get started writing about food?
I grew up in a food-centric family. Meals in my house were events and by the time I was a teenager, I had developed quite a palate along with what would be a lifelong passion for fine cuisine.
Yet, my entry into the world of writing about food was almost entirely by accident. As the head of a market research firm in Austin, I conducted a study for a local radio station in an effort to improve their ratings. One thing we found was that a substantial number of their listeners enjoyed dining out. So, I suggested that the station launch a restaurant show.
It was never my intention to become the host of said show, but that's what occurred. Soon after I was also on tv and writing a website. And that was ten years ago!
Which Austin chefs and restaurants do you think are most exciting at the moment?
I am very partial to Bryce Gillmore's Barley Swine and David Bull's Congress. I also love Ben Huselton's work at the Paggi House and Paul Qui's Uchiko. And I am rapidly becoming an admirer of David Burton Sanchez in his transition from Apatite to Soleil. You can't ignore Josh Watkins at The Carillon or the inimitable Elmar Prambs at Trio. Plus who would have thought Ben Nathan could ramp up that fast at the new Cafe Blue?
If you're visiting a restaurant for the first time, what are the key things you look for?
I typically visit a restaurant several times before filing a review. On the first visit, I tend to look for operational as well as cuisine issues, such as:
- Do dishes appear in a timely manner?
- Does the server really understand the menu and can she/he convey it to the customer?
- How do the front and back of the house work: is there a sense of accommodation and efficiency?
- Is the food fresh and properly prepared?
- Are the tastes and textures integrated and working in a pleasing fashion?
And perhaps most importantly, how are the soups? Show me a great soup and I'll almost always show you a great restaurant.
What tips would you give Google Places reviewers to help them make their reviews more mouthwatering?
My best suggestion would be to convey your sense of appreciation and enthusiasm of particular dishes with language that is evocative. For example, I could say that the linguine was “well cooked with a nice sauce” or I could say that it was “exquisitely prepared and appropriately al dente with a sweet sauce redolent of the best of Naples.”
Great cooking is about passion and - not coincidentally - so is great food writing. The best reviews evoke a gut-level reaction: they make me hungry!
Think you can pen a hunger-inducing review, just like Rob? We want to give you the chance, and Rob’s favorite writers will win an all-inclusive dinner with the critic himself at the Austin restaurant of his choice. All you have to do is submit reviews of your favorite spots on Google Places to be eligible, and each new review is a new chance to win. Enter today!
Posted by Whitney Francis, Austin community manager
Photos courtesy Rob Balon and Travis Culinary Arts, respectively
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