yay
Today, I was excited to come home to a present from J – a copy of The Fearless Critic San Antonio. The Houston version was my dining bible so I was super happy to get it! I decided to see how my scores stacked up the the Critics’. It seemed we were generally on the same page, but there were a few restaurants where our scores were very different. Check out my comparison chart (yes, I know I am a nerd). Continue reading
yum
The holiday season was hard on our bank account, so we decided that in January we would focus on “cheap eats.” And, eating healthier… It turns out our quest to find the best food in San Antonio has resulted in us packing on a few extra pounds. After a day of exploring the city, we decided to grab a late, light and reasonably-priced lunch at Madhatters Tea House & Cafe. Continue reading
tres chic
The San Antonio Express-News recently reviewed Feast and wrote, “Everything about Feast is beautiful — the gleaming whitewalls and tables, clear acrylic chairs, glittering multicolored chandeliers, the glamorous servers of both sexes, and the gorgeous plating of various dishes.” We could not agree more. It was as if we stepped out of casual, comfy San Antonio and into the Chicago or NYC dining scene.
tangy
We don’t really like Tex Mex that much. There, I said it. Maybe it’s the places I’ve tried (if someone has a reco, send it my way). Since I moved to Texas several years ago, I’ve repeatedly attempted to like Tex Mex. In San Antonio and Houston alike, margarita happy hours with chips and salsa are practically a way of life. Anyway, my parents were in town and they really love Tex Mex. Unfortunately, they live in Pittsburgh and the options are limited. Based on a friend’s recommendation, we decided to take them to Los Barrios on Blanco Road. Continue reading
I was very fond of my “smiley face” rating system. However, J (and others) pointed out that it didn’t give much room to rate. The old system didn’t allow us the flexibility to call out great food or service… or to point out a lacking ambience. The new system is a simple 1 to 10 rating of Atmosphere, Service and Food. The 1 to 10 scale is pretty standard with 1 being terrible and 10 being totally fabulous.
The overall score is the average of the three, and each criterion is scored using the average of all diners’ scores. For instance, the other day, we took my parents to dinner.. and all four of us gave our numerical rating for each criterion. In this case, my mom and J gave the food a score of 6, my dad gave a score of 7, and I said 5. The final food score then is =(6+6+7+5)/4 = 6.
The new system allows for a bit more objectivity in ratings and helps us break ties and highlight subtle differences between dining experiences. Also, the removal of smiley faces makes the site look a lot cleaner.
And, here is the key:
Scores of 8 to 10 = Fantastic!
Scores of 6 up to 8 = Good Stuff!
Scores of 4 up to 6 = Just OK.
Scores of 3 up to 4 = Meh.
Scores below 3 = Avoid.
Goodbye Smileys.. we’ll miss you. You’ll always be 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 in my eyes.
The San Antonio Palate 