NJ Zagat 2002

[=Mark]

There are restaurants that have been around for years that still do not carry numeric ratings, which normally indicates they are too new to have gotten them. Makes me wonder about the text comments (Easy Tommy...).

Bistro J in Ocean - 2 years old

Bahrs Restaurant in Highlands!?!? - It's older than I am!

Basil T's in Red Bank - 5 years old

Big Ed's BBQ in Oldbridge - 6 years old

Brioso in Marlboro - 5 years old (Rosie and online folks did this place when she was still on NJOnline)

Christophers Cafe in Colts neck - 4 years old

This is just the "Bs" with a touch of "C." (Funny all the non new reviewed places are in Monmouth County...)

Ohhh... Andrea Clurfield is the local editor. Never mind.

[tommy]

would that be the 2001/2002 "update", or an actual new 2002 guide. the NJ edition is so full of shit that i'm surprised they get away with reselling the thing without getting garbage thrown at their mansion. pathetic, at best.

[=Mark]

would that be the 2001/2002 "update", or an actual new 2002 guide.  the NJ edition is so full of shit that i'm surprised they get away with reselling the thing without getting garbage thrown at their mansion.  pathetic, at best.

Actually this is titled as the "2002/03" guide. I am totally pissed off. I have actually used the NYC, DC and St. Louis editions of Zagat and have found them useful for a number of years.

[rozrapp]

markstevens posted on Jul 17 2002, 08:58 PM

There are restaurants that have been around for years that still do not carry numeric ratings, which normally indicates they are too new to have gotten them.

A restaurant's newness is not the only reason that no numeric ratings are included. I believe I read somewhere that if there is not enough voter input to make a numeric listing viable, but the Zagat people feel that the restaurant still warrants being included, they put it in without any numbers for Food, Decor and Service. When it comes to cost, they use letters -- I, E, etc. -- instead of dollar amounts. (They sometimes "de-list" restaurants with insufficient voter responses.)

[=Mark]

I also just noticed the new Zagat completely omits Casa Comida Mexican restaurant in Long Branch. One can argue the merits or lack there of of the food or service, but the fact remains that Casa Comida has been a commercial force to be reckoned with for 20 years now. It has been voted Central Jerseys top Mexican for like a dozen years in NJ Monthly.

I know that Andrea Clurfield, reviewer for the Asbury Park Press has had a running feud with Casa Comida for well over 10 years now. I know the owners and have been following this for a long time. The fact that Clurfield is now also the local editor of the NJ Zagat speaks volumes. Casa was listed in all the previous NJ Zagats until Clurfield took the reigns, in fact, in the 99 guide it is quoted as "The best Mexican on the Jersey Shore."

The fact that a supposedly "objective" restaurant reviewer can use her position to play politics against establishments that she personally deems "unworthy" is an affront to anyone who thinks the free flow of information is a good thing.

[Rail Paul]

The fact that a supposedly "objective" restaurant reviewer can use her position to play politics against establishments that she personally deems "unworthy" is an affront to anyone who thinks the free flow of information is a good thing.

Yet another reason why I pay only minor attention to reviews and reviewers.

I believe it was I.F. Stone who said "Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one." That sounds like an appropriate comment. Newspapers have very little to do with the free flow of information, TV networks have even less.

[=Mark]

I believe it was I.F. Stone who said "Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one."  That sounds like an appropriate comment.  Newspapers have very little to do with the free flow of information, TV networks have even less.

But eGullet rules!