Critics Be Damned!!!!

The other night I was watching Restaurant Impossible with Robert Irvine.  OK, I was watching it by myself, but he is the host of the show.  In any event, Robert was tasting some fried chicken at a restaurant he was saving.  When he tasted it, he said, “The skin has the right amount of salt, for me anyway.”  I was really glad to hear the second part of that sentence “for me anyway.”  It really summed up an important point, different people have different tastes. 

I bring this up because I see many blogs regarding food, especially those that critique food.  I read them, but then I really do not pay much attention to them.  Now if a review says that the place was teeming with cockroaches or rats, or if it said the cook doesn’t wash his hands after using the restroom, I will definitely pay attention to those observations.  Those are things I want to know.  However, the whole “savory didn’t compliment the sweet, or the texture of the food was…” observations mean little to me.  Very little.  I am not disparaging what the critic is doing.  Many people want to know the critic’s observations.  I don’t though.  Let me explain why.

I come from a more simple world.  I come from the world of “I like this or I don’t.”  Simple.  I first became aware of this when I went on my first wine tasting trip.  There were guys with polo shirts and sweaters draped around their necks.  They were talking about the tannins, body, legs etc.  Hell, I had no idea what they were talking about.  My observations were more simple, I liked these, did not like these.  (I won’t even talk about whether I liked the wine mixture from the jar you pour your left over wine in, that is a drunk story, not a food story.) I wasn’t going to avoid buying a wine because its legs may have been a little weak.  To be honest, I wouldn’t even know what that was.  I thought legs were for walking and running. 

I try to hit each new locally owned restaurant that comes to the Fresno area.  Just look at me, it is obvious.  When I go there, my critique is simple.  I like it or I didn’t.  However, when people ask me about it, I do not tell them not to go there.  I explain to them what the restaurant had and what it didn’t and what I liked and what I didn’t like.  BUT, I always finish with the statement, “You need to check it out yourself.”  It is not my job to tell people what they may like and what they may not like.  It’s like the whole hot dog controversy at my house right now.  I like sweet pickle relish.  My wife despises it.  It makes her physically ill. She prefers dill pickles.  Which one of us is right????  Neither one of us is right.  We each like different things.  (I just need to get her off of her “I’m superior to you because I like dill” pedestal.) 

The whole point of this, first and always foremost, support locally owned restaurants.  Second, there are hidden gems in Fresno that you are certain to like.  There are some you may not like.  But if you make this determination based solely on the observations of a critic or even a friend, you will never know.  The sweet and savory issue that displeased the critic may actually taste good to you and become your favorite food.  Decide for yourself and give these restaurants a chance.

Footnote:  I saw a review of a local restaurant this morning as I was writing this.  I am not going to hide anything here, it was a review of the Le Grilled Cheese at Dusty Buns Bistro, a local favorite.  It was written by a new blogger who was going to tell me what is good and bad about Fresno.  The thing is THE CRITIC HAD NEVER TRIED THE SANDWICH.  WTF????  They made their observation based on the description of the sandwich apparently from the web site.  This was ridiculous.  Dusty Buns is very popular.  This is evident from the long lines wherever they decide to park, or at their new brick and mortar location.  I personally love this sandwich.  But I also know people who are “eh” about it.  To each their own.  But the audacity of someone who critiques something before they even try it?  Really????  I promptly un-followed this person.  I do not need you to tell me what is good or bad about Fresno, I can decide on myself.  I am sure the 31 (oops now 30) followers you have will really appreciate your input.

Most people that know me know that I have very strong opinions.  Not in a bad way, but in a “I do not see things from only one point of view, makes more sense kind of way.”  At least it does to me.  I see people get fired up over political issues, economic issues, moral issues etc.  Again, I am usually middle of the road.  I try to see things from all perspectives.  However, some things get me real fired up.  I got fired up the other night when I went to the premiere of Long Live the Wild Hare. I did not get fired up over the content of the movie.  It was a well-made documentary.  Props to Rick and Gio (I thinks it’s Gio).  I got fired up because of what the documentary pointed out.  Corporations fuck up good things. 

Classic story, a radio station is locally owned and does well for 20 some-odd years.  A corporation takes over and within a few years it is gone.   I remember the Wild Hare.  I actually did a bit on it.  It was by-far the best rock radio station in Fresno (or anywhere for that matter) at the time.  It was real.  It was real mostly because it was under the direction of a local person, E. Curtis Johnson, and he was directing local talent for the most part.  They felt the true pulse of Fresno and tended to that pulse.  It was great.  It was funny.  It was controversial.  Most importantly, it felt REAL.  I’m sorry but I do not much care for a radio show produced somewhere else with a guy my age telling cheesy jokes which are laughed at by a side-kick being paid to laugh at them.  Fuck that.  I want to know how to say the word penis a thousand different ways or learn about freaks (these are just a couple of the very memorable bits done on the station.)  But maybe that’s just me.  But wait, the Tower was Full Saturday.  It obviously isn’t just me.

The corporations had to step in and make everything “better.”  After that it’s mediocre tamed down radio drivel and a format change.  AND the worst, the firing of a bunch of local talent, many my friends.  Now I turn to 103.7 and I hear what, the music they were playing at dances in MY high school years.  WTF????  Where’s the good radio.  That’s right, it’s being canned somewhere back East by someone from an Ivy League school with a weird accent who “knows what I like.”

This gets me to why I am fired up.  I am fired up because a corporate suit is telling me what I like.  He is telling me what kind of music to listen to, what to eat, what to wear and on and on.  They took away MY radio station.  Go to Riverpark any given night.  You will see people waiting two to three hours to eat at the Elephant Bar.  I fucking hate the Elephant Bar.  It is a corporate owned restaurant that is popular because they say they are.  People flock like mindless sheep to wait for hours to eat mediocre food with no SOUL.  On the other hand, I went to the Schoolhouse Saturday night.  It has a local chef, is locally owned and everything there, down to the ketchup, is made by hand.  The food tastes great, it has atmosphere, and you actually meet the person behind the creations.  It has SOUL.  But was there a herd there waiting to get in?  No.  I didn’t have to wait.  Why?  Because there is not a corporation telling people that it is the place to eat.  Try it sometime, it is incredible. 

People need to stop being led by corporations and being told what is the “right” thing, then following along like fucking sheep.  I know what I like, and so does everyone else.  These corporations are killing our restaurants, our radio stations and everything good that makes our area, Fresno, really Fresno.  We have local restaurants that absolutely put the corporate chains to shame.  Ever had Dusty Buns???? Tako BBQ????  A taco from La Elegante….wait that’s in Chinatown not Riverpark!!!  Who cares, the food is GOOD.  Branch out, and break free from the “Riverpark is it” mind set and eat chicken and waffles in Chinatown at 2:00 a.m. at Come and Get It Chicken and Waffles.  Eat Pho at Pho 99 a First and McKinley.  Quit going to Elephant Bar because that’s what the corporations tell us to do.

As Fresnans we have a responsibility to make sure our locally owned businesses thrive, even when people are flocking to the corporate feed troughs.  I eat almost exclusively local now, and I have had the best meals I’ve ever had by doing this.  (I am keeping my local trainer in business by doing this.)

I have been told by a number of people I should make a list of good local restaurants.  I am going to share this info as much as I can. I am not a food critic who will say “this place is good because the savory set off the sweet perfectly.”  Hell, all I know is if something is good or not.  If it’s good I say so AND GO BACK.  This is what we all really need to do, go back, before these local gems we have face the demise of the Wild Hare.