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Tired of the ubiquitous star system for rating restaurant reviews? I am too. That’s why I developed the “Zin Scale,” a unique and flavorful way to express the dining experience.
Just as the bold, complex flavors of a fine Zinfandel wine can range from subtly fruity to robustly spicy, so too can a restaurant’s offerings vary. My scale uses the following tiers to capture the essence of your meal experience. Choose a Zin Rating to view the complete description and to read about the restaurants that obtained these ratings from me.
One of the very best restaurants at which you could dine. Atmosphere is quiet and demure, Tables are pristine clean; Servers are polite and professional...
These restaurants fall just a bit short of a 5 Zin rating.
This restaurant and evening falls into what might be called the Critic’s Choice. The evening’s dinner is almost perfect…
These restaurants fall just a bit short of a 4 Zin rating.
This restaurant falls into what might be called “Just Average”. From the moment you walk through the door, it becomes increasingly obvious...
These restaurants fall just a bit short of a 3 Zin rating.
The smell of old grease is wafting into the dining room, cranky wait-staff, paper napkins and plastic plates, cocktails are poured from plastic...
These restaurants fall just a bit short of a 2 Zin rating.
If a restaurant does get a rating of 1 Zin, my recommendation would be to not bother to get out of your car...
In my career are twenty-five-plus years learning the restaurant business – from top to bottom – and six years in a Midwest university learning and polishing my writing skills. I have spent a good number of those years (just how many yet to be determined) on the road and authored well over 150 reviews & articles – and still counting.
I’ve traveled from Maine to Florida, from Boston to San Francisco, from Seattle to San Diego, and from Dallas to way north of Duluth, sampling and writing about food. And Yes, I love restaurants, I love preparing, writing about, and eating, food. I hope you enjoy reading what I have written!
Through the years, Lauren and I have made numerous visits