Freshly Brewed Babble: Three Steps to Become The Best Amateur Food Critic

One of my favorite pastimes has to be going around to local eateries with my best friend and pretending to be the city’s most highly esteemed, top-notch food critics. Our chins stuck out, we knit-pick the ambiance, plating and taste as if we’ve had years of professional experience.

Over time, I’ve found that my higher ratings don’t go the places that cater only to my palate but rather the ones that find a way to make their vision resonate with me. Just in case you’re having trouble seeing where this is going, it all circles back to communication. When a restaurant, café, food and beverage company or the like checks off a few extra boxes in the department of strong core values, it definitely amplifies the food and beverage experience at large.

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✓ Tell It How It Is

I won’t beat around the bush here, so I might as well address the implications with the pandemic of COVID-19 right off the bat. Relative to the food and beverage industry, I think the way eateries have been taking safety measures and communicating that to their audience speaks high volumes. When an eatery takes responsibility and makes the more difficult decision for the sake of its consumers, that’s true integrity. While I’ve never been the biggest Chipotle fan, and I’m honestly appalled that I’m referencing them in my high standard food blog, the restaurant took action immediately and offered free delivery services. I can list off hundreds of restaurants that have taken the same actions, but Chipotle invested in promoting social media posts to ensure its customers were notified. Now, that’s a company that puts its customers first.

As an aspiring PR practitioner, I’m especially keen on the efficient and well thought out communications efforts of a company, and the impact on the public is distinct. Communication is key in a lot more than just relationships. If you can’t figure out the message explicitly from the restaurant’s website or social media, the food-makers manage to forge a complete disconnect between themselves and their food-eaters.

✓ Be A Good Neighbor

By this point, you should know that I consider myself a Philly local even though I technically live in South Jersey and my parallel parking skills are subpar. Regardless, when it’s evident that a company wants to give back to its community, especially my own, I feel more comfortable spending my time and money at that establishment.

Saxbys Coffee, headquartered in (you guessed it) the City of Brotherly Love, does an exemplary job of making a meaningful contribution to the city without overstepping as a coffee shop. Saxbys has written profiles to honor the tastemakers and game-changers of Philly culture, and it has also provided a source of employment to its college student demographic seeking entrepreneurial opportunities that correlate to their career aspirations. Think about it this way: how can the public care about a company if the company doesn't show it cares about its public first? Exactly.

✓ Keepin’ It Local and Fresh

Is it just me, or do you justify your unnecessarily expensive purchases by reassuring yourself that “it’s supporting local businesses”? Well, food is no exception. I have a special place in my heart for restaurants that use locally- and ethically-sourced ingredients. Seasonal menus are also a bonus because apart from the fact that they raise the bar for the exclusivity factor, they also show the attention to fresh, in-season ingredients according to the farming experts.

A Philly favorite that features seasonal menus is Sabrina’s Cafe, a top-notch brunch spot where I don’t feel afraid to step out of my comfort zone and change up my order depending on the time of year. To satisfy all of you chain restaurant lovers, PF Chang’s also sets aside a corner of its menu for seasonal dishes, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t saddened to learn that the Singapore street noodles weren’t offered year-round. While seasonal freshness is all the hype these days at farm-to-table restaurants, it’s also key to note the ethics in the sourcing methods. This especially comes into play for coffee, so make an effort to fuel your caffeine addiction with beans that have all the right certifications. I can assure you those coffee beans are not coming from your local farm.

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When it comes to exploring the food and beverage scene, a little research goes a long way. Clearly communicated messages, active community involvement and seasonal, ethically-sourced ingredients just might land an eatery an extra star in The New York Times Restaurant Review.

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