COMMENT
By Patrick Skinner
“Be-suited captains and black–vested waiters confer and preen and carry on behind a stone counter, while diners occupy, on the other side, a narrow lane of tables. The uneven allotment of space gives the feeling of a trespass, as do the chairs, which are wooden, uncomfortable, and heavy on finials and carved curlicues. Spa-ishly, there is a lot of seafood on Ago's menu,, but none of it — with the exception of cacciucco toscano, a tomato-based seafood soup that comes in a cute red crock and nicely plays sugar off of spice — is very good. The cuttlefish skewers are unmemorable, the spaghetti with clams is way too olive oily, and the seafood risotto is gluey and bland. A lamb chop, at thirty-eight dollars, has the heft of a snowflake. Dessert is probably the biggest rip-off: a warm Valrhona tortino that a wait-ress suggests, in almost dictatorial tones, is an arid dud; an apple tart with toasted almonds tastes like it's been soaking in Amaretto”.
These words are not written about a restaurant in Cyprus. They form part of a leading magazine’s review of a new (and fashionable) restaurant in New York. Such comments are seldom seen here. Not because, sometimes, a place deserves strong criticism, but because criticism makes a reviewer enemies – throughout the business and rendering his or her job more difficult and sometimes impossible to do. Not often are critical comments found in my pages, because, generally, we review places that have good standards and, based on just one visit, it is unfair to damn a place. The review above is based on a number of visits all paid for by the publisher of the magazine. When I have an adverse comment I make it privately. In 50% of such cases, my comments are received with thanks and acted upon and a friendship is strengthened. In others, alas, there is silence and resentment. This is all part of ‘growing up’, which, unfortunately in some parts of the hotel and catering trade a lot has still to be done.
I except winemakers from these remarks. They are almost universally seeking criticism and suggestions (see my article about Pambos Argyrides at Vasa) and, for me, they are a great bunch of people.
There is another factor. I write, not for myself, but for the readership of the newspaper or magazine, so we tend to review places that residents of some means and taste are likely to frequent. So, horror stories like inedible salads swamped with vinegar, burned “lamp” chops, greasy chips and stale bread for 30 Euros a head don’t often come into Cyprus Gourmet. Maybe they should! But I don’t want my car blown up.
Anyway, I am encouraged. Several leading trade personalities phoned or Emailed me after reading my editorial about “Reaching for the Stars”, agreeing with my comments that it is more than a chef who makes a Star Restaurant. I welcome all comments and my phone numbers are now added to my Email to make it easier still to put a point of view or give me a piece of information.
(Financial Mirror, July 16, 2008)
