Reservoir Redux and Some Food Blogger Comments

Just came back home after a swell meal at Reservoir with Joe Cap, John (the Actor), and some new friends. We waited an hour to be seated, but our table of 7 was understandably difficult to seat in such a diminutive restaurant. It seems that Chef Gloria Felix and her crew took in account some of my previous comments. The pizza was at least 30-40% larger than our first version, with a crispier, more flavorful crust. The arugula salad was also noticeably larger, with enough to serve two as an appetizer, instead of just one on my previous visit.

This time I ordered the celebrated lasagna, topped with braised pork, roasted cherry tomatoes, and strong garnishing of flat-leaf parsley. The whole construction resembled a 5 x 5 inch piece of ravioli, stuffed with creamy ricotta, instead of the layered lasagna most of us are familiar with. The cherry tomatoes burst with fresh flavor while the succulent pork meat made for a superb dish very much worth the modest $22 price. The fresh pasta held the dish together with perfect precision, binding the ingredients in a thin but tender sheet. Too often fresh pasta is too thick or even too tough; this version had an ideal bite that left me trying to recall a better version in the city. I can't think of one.

Chef Gloria visited our table toward the tail end of our meal and warmly greeted us. The discussion quickly went to bloggers and how these internet food writers wield so much influence in the local restaurant scene. The elephant in the room was that one of these dreaded writers was sitting right there. Of course Chef Gloria had read my review and commented quickly that she disagreed with my judgment of the wine list and its high prices vis-a-vis the cost of the food. I stand by what I said about my reaction to the prices, but I also qualify my statement by saying that I haven't actually paired any of my meals with her wine selection. For our meal, we brought a number of bottles of wine, mostly Old World, Rhone-based wines though we indulged in a White Bordeaux and a Muscat as well. We all found the $15 corkage more than reasonable and Chef Gloria said that she was perfectly comfortable with people bringing in their own wines.

She also disagreed with my opinion of the orange lighting in the dining room, but after she left our table, some members of our group did agree with me that the lighting wasn't very good. I generally don't have issues with decor appointments in a restaurant, but sometimes certain elements can be distracting or off-putting enough to tamper the meal. Consider Animal's early criticism of being too loud (actually it's still really loud), or XIV's sensory-overload dining room - decor is not worth mentioning unless it either enhances or detracts from a meal. The orange lighting isn't the biggest issue, or even that significant, but I did find fellow diners agreeing that it wasn't as pleasant as claimed to be.

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Regarding food bloggers and their trigger-happy criticism, I'm a firm believer that all of us should be accountable for our words. All food writers have very little recourse, almost nothing at stake except perhaps our reputation, when critiquing a restaurant or food establishment. Of course it's our responsibility to point out the notable, the remarkable, the interesting. But just because we have more influence in this Age of Twitter and Blogspot/Wordpress doesn't nullify our capacity to comment on places. Just because bloggers will comment on a restaurant doesn't mean non-writers or non-bloggers won't tell everyone they know about a positive or negative experience. As evidenced by Virbila's or Gold's ability direct thousands of readers to a certain place, most local LA-based bloggers don't have an audience of more than a few hundred every day. An average socialite can touch a hundred or so of their acquaintances about their experience at a restaurant, regardless of their reach on the Internet.

I see bloggers, or even Yelpers or Chowhounders as an easy scapegoat for difficult times in the restaurant business, but I believe that excellent product, both on the plate and through service, will trump any single or even aggregate opinion about a restaurant. Look at certain favorites such as Scoops, Golden State, Providence, Jitlada, or even The Bazaar as places that have generally had positive endorsement from the internet masses - more often than not the restaurant's commitment to quality and service are apparent.

The onus is really on restaurants to capture the zeitgeist and ensure that their product is overwhelmingly good. I doubt that any restaurant that produces an appealing cuisine or cordial service will go out of business. If anything, it's time that restaurants start to differentiate and stand out, rather than back down to a supposedly influential few.

It must be excruciating to have the fate of a restaurant hanging upon the words of a few people, but honestly, if the food and service is good, word will get around regardless of the verdict of bloggers. Coverage of Rustic Canyon scarcely hit the blogger buzz, but word got around quickly enough on the Westside that the restaurant was making some incredible food.

It's up to bloggers to point out excellent places, and perhaps offer caveats for places that don't fulfill promises. I've always stood by not choosing to bash or criticize places without any basis, and more often than not, I refrain from saying anything negative. I would rather highlight what's worthy of note than bring a place down. My conscience tells me that even that is not worth the risk of putting pen to paper. I would only make note of a negative experience if the place really offended me, but something like that would not go unnoticed for long.