It definitely was not a beer high on hops, as you noted. I think most effervescent beers (like witbeirs) tend to have a very low hop presence. I liked that about this beer, and I think that’s why it pairs with food well. It’s not competing for flavor. And the point you brought up about this beer being a “gateway beer” for women (or men) who don’t drink beer is very well stated.

Thanks for the kind words on the show. It’s always interesting to hear everyone’s perspective on it. I appreciate that you take the time to listen.

Damn. Now I want some mac & cheese. That looks delicious.

like phil, i think a dedicated microphone would be best, although it’s not difficult to hear you

The problem with your voice not coming through can be corrected by you wearing a microphone that goes directly into the camera, or a mixing board that has feeds from other microphones, so all sound is captured. Talking louder in a restaurant like that would be inappropriate.

I like this video series. They’re very cool.

As for the Yelp/NYT stars issue: I’ve always had a problem with assigning stars to restaurants, because you know it’s the first thing a reader will look at, and it’s pretty subjective. I mean, 3 of 5 stars is better than average, right? But it’s not exactly a glowing review. There’s a lot of room to interpret what that means, and it’s not always received how the author meant it. And then, the jump between a 3 and 4 star review can be pretty great, you know? Of course, there’s also the problem of how my rating of one restaurant fits into all the other ratings I’ve given, baggage that is not always fair to the particular restaurant at hand. It’s complicated. I’d rather a reader just read the review and ignore the star count, so they can see exactly how I feel. Of course, all the readers have fled to the interweb.

However, many bloggers are nothing more than hobbyists with a penchant for starting trouble. There are several very good food blogs out there that are absolutely exceptional. You just need to find them.

What irks me most are anonymous bloggers who enter restaurants, give scathing reviews, and end up hurting businesses at a time when they can ill afford to lose potential customers. Ruth Reichl worked successfully as an anonymous food critic for the New York Times for years. The only difference is those three words – New York Times.

I can’t name names, but last weekend I was with a group of food bloggers, one of which had given a particularly negative review to a restaurant that he’d not even eaten at yet. He sat down at the table to be served, was quickly recognized by the staff, and was promptly asked to leave by the head chef.

This is a big reason why I find Yelp to have little to no credibility. It’s full of mostly anonymous users who can give 1-star reviews to any establishment they feel like, with no accountability. I often wonder if half of these people have even entered the establishment they’re bashing. If you want real restaurant ratings, refer to Zagat.

Whether we want to buy into it or not. Print media still has the clout it needs. I think they’ve deserved it. It’s when ethics come into question that I have a problem, and it’s a big one. And bloggers are no worse than they are when it comes to this.

Thanks for your post. Enlightening.