I’d be lying if I said my job didn’t make me lose sleep some nights. Especially right before a less-than-glowing review under my byline hits the stands.
I toss and turn because I know it’s not just a restaurant I’ve written about. It’s blood and sweat and livelihoods. The last thing you want to do as a critic is discourage a chef or restaurateur’s creativity or effort.
But you also have to tell it like you see it.
I understand what it’s like to be on the receiving end of criticism. Having written a few books, I’m familiar with the sting. No matter how many “clever and ingenious” reviews I have under my belt, the “what a waste of trees” ones still smart.
But I don’t know exactly what it feels like on the other side of a restaurant review.
For a little perspective, I got on the phone last week with one of America’s leading restaurateurs, Danny Meyer.
Meyer’s unmatched collection of 11 New York City eateries (so far) includes Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern and one of my favorite restaurants ever, Eleven Madison Park. Plans for an outpost in Tokyo were just announced.
During our conversation, Meyer acknowledged some trepidation about the process of being reviewed.
“It’s a very tense time for a restaurant when they know they’re about to be reviewed,” Meyer said. “You know that your work is being judged and is about to be exposed.”
Imminent press coverage can be good for morale. “It’s a crystallizing motivator,” he said. “It coalesces the team.”
And what about when the review comes out?
“It’s a challenge no matter which way the review goes. If it’s less than favorable, the biggest challenge is morale. And if morale is in the dumps, you lose good people. Your business suffers.
“But a really positive review can be challenging too, because up until then, all you’ve had to live up to are your own expectations.”
In other words, if the bar is set too high, new customers might be disappointed.
I asked if he has a standard policy for dealing, emotionally, with reviews – a mental process he follows when one of his babies gets ink.
“It’s an important skill to hear and respond to feedback. But you have to trust what you know to be right. If I’m good at what I do, I should be aware of our foibles. I shouldn’t be worried that the first time I’ll hear about something wrong is from a critic.”
Would he rather operate in a world without critics?
“For better or for worse, restaurateurs and critics need each other,” Meyer said. “It’s not about liking or hating the process, it’s just a matter of fact.”
The bottom line is this: Meyer is a master because he focuses more on cultivating relationships with his customers than in worrying about what critics say or don’t say about his projects.
“I just think that people make up their own minds,” Meyer said. “People feel more and more confident these days about having their own opinions rather than being led.”
Amen.
Meyer has a new book out, a candid, memoir-cum-business-manual called “Setting the Table.” It’s a quick read and a great gift for anyone interested in the restaurant biz.
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-954-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
