08/26/2026
More than once people have asked, "What makes you the authority to review food?" It happened on Monday and I'm always unsure how to answer.(adding edit: majority of the time with no ill intention in asking) I always usually reply with a simple "I like food." Really, that's all you need. You have a want to enjoy something and your intentions are good. Maybe you like the experience of dining.
I don't think you need to be a great chef, or have been to culinary school (though it helps with identifying ingredients and concepts at the higher end of restaurants), but just a curiosity for food and a want to support the enjoyment of dining at a restaurant. That's why all of my favorite reviewers are the ones looking to be positive and give you ideas of where to support local and feel good doing so.
While I do love the joke of being unseasoned and I only joke about adding raisins to potato salad because the valid horrified responses make me giggle, I definitely have sichuan peppercorns and rubbed sage and whole nutmeg cloves in my pantry. It's a problem. One recipe asks for it and my seasoning and ingredient shelf grows.
I love cooking and I miss doing it as much as I like. I've tried to work on plating and I'm sure a trained chef would say "A for effort." 😅
Anyway, I do not have any culinary background other than experimenting in the kitchen and being able to follow a recipe. But, here's some things I've made in the past few years that were pretty good. If you want to do food reviews, there's room for everyone. As long as you like food.