These are time sensitive. You do not receive credit if you write them after the deadline each week.
First, there's a blog entry (about 250 words) which will have you respond to a hopefully thought-provoking question. Each week, you must do the blog entry with enough time left in the week to be able to enter into dialogue online with your classmates. Write, reply, write more, reply more, and then write and reply more.
Second, there's a reading. There’s no blog entry associated with this. Just read.
Third, there's a written response to the reading. Your reading and writing on the blog must be completed by the SATURDAY (by midnight) of the week in which the reading falls. This entry should be a long paragraph. YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESPOND TO OTHER STUDENTS' PART THREE EACH WEEK.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
WEEK TWO WRITING ABOUT WHAT YOU READ
What was the single best line of the restaurant review of Patina? Why was that line so appealing?
As a restaurant critic, it isn't surprising how talented the writer is in her capability to transport readers into the moment. As per her profession, she was able to succinctly and creatively describe each dish and its components. My mouth was pretty much watering at the butter-poached lobster And yet as a writer, she had the ability to allow the reader to feel empathy for the restaurant's professional situation, although they were not by any means struggling. Usually, works that require a great descriptive detail, a lot of the material can get lost in the numerous adjectives used. Unnecessary and unnatural adjectives can form odd sentences and may lead to an overall work that doesn't 'flow'. Throughout the writing, it was clear that the writer took a great deal of effort in each word she used. I hope to be able to accomplish the same in the Restaurant Essay.
I realized I'd forgotten to add in my favorite line: "It's the time to slow down, to savor the food and the company. A moment outside of the everyday, and a rare indulgence." I know I am definitely guilty of this but during meals, especially when I'm alone, I tend to eat while I'm doing other things. Either while getting work done, while sitting in front of the TV, or while wasting time on my phone. Unfortunately, it's simply the reality of it. A lot of us don't have the time to enjoy a meal either due to work obligations or because we're in a hurry to move on. Food is often seen as a means to survive, and while that is true, we should also be able to spend the time to "slow down and savor the meal and the company." Eating is not simply done to survive but it can also be a memorable experience.
There was so much in this review that I found appealing, but what stood out to me the most was the vivid description of the “mosaic” vegetable dish. I love vegetables and so this illustration stayed with me throughout the entire reading. For many people, vegetables may not be a favorite food item, but I am certain that this description would turn anyone toward accepting them. The way the restaurant critic describes them through writing is simply amazing and it formulates an image of this particular dish for the reader. My mouth began to water as I imagined the beautiful arrangement of the variety of colors of the vegetables, and the flavors that would come upon taking a bite. It is both a work of art and something delicious and refreshing to eat.
As I was reading the article, I felt as if I was eating the food through the computer screen. My mouth was watering everytime the critic described a meal. The author made me feel as if I was in her shoes, sitting in the restaurant and eating the food. The best line of the restaurant review was, "It's the time to slow down, to savor the food, and the company" because these were critical points of what we do when we go to a restaurant. I agree with the author because we do chose the company who attends because we like to enjoy good food with good company. Time slows down and we forget about our problems and appreciate the food and company at the moment. We catch ourselves so many times reciting, "Oh my, this is the best thing I ever tasted. It tastes like heaven!" We savor the taste and can't wait to visit again.
Personally, I do not read many food critiques but I felt as though this food critique had so much detail that I was experiencing this with the author. This is done with credit to her excellent use of descriptive adjectives and details. One line in particular that stood out to me was the line where she describes the presentation of the vegetables and their vibrant colors... "Now just look at his glazed vegetable mosaic. What a breathtaking dish. With an unfaltering sense of color and proportion — and taste — the chef has composed a cityscape of vegetables in a coral-red pool of their cooking juices." This description alone provides the reader with a vivid image of what the author is about to consume. I also find it interesting how to author uses words that almost seem unconventional as adjectives. For example in that same quote above she describes the variety of vegetables as a cityscape. I would have not thought to use that word to make the correlation between their appearance but the author in this food critique makes it work.
This is my first time reading a restaurant review. I have read the yelp ratings, but I just look at the stars, so I doubt that is a credible rating. The review was very interesting, there was so much detail and description in the review. While I was reading the review, I felt like I was reading about a restaurant from a movie the descriptions seemed surreal. By reading the review, I was able to see how detail is very important. The more detail one offers while writing, the more the audience can capture what the event was like. My favorite line in the review was when they were describing the dessert,"or the way toffee and chocolate are welded together in a soft milk chocolate dessert that's subtle and under sweetened".This was my favorite line because I love dessert, and I can picture the dessert as I read the line and I could feel my mouth begin to water. The author did an excellent job in describing the food because as you read you can picture everything in your head.
The single best line of the review from Patina for me was "The restaurant is a place where everything — the ambience, the service, the food and the wine work seamlessly to create a sense of occasion." It held so much truth in one statement that it should be the motive for every restaurant. If all of the subjects do not flow together to create a memory of an occasion, then why go to a common place to eat when the value isn't there? Why waste an experience on something that will not entice your every movement of taste and satisfaction? Patina did an excellent review. Every word and description was so engulfing to the reader and brought you the sense of the experience right off the page. I liked how Patina said it was "decorative, but not decoration." The food was not untouchable and Patina let you feel that with the amount of correlation between the food itself and the appearance of it. Food has to look appetizing in order for it to be consumed. If it looks to over done then it's hard to enjoy the simplicity of it.
I don't know how I misinterpreted the author for Patina. I just reread what I wrote and reread the review. That is embarrassing, but I'm glad I caught myself.
My single favorite line that I found in Virbila's review was "Each element plays against the other, so that depending on how you orchestrate it, each bite of hamachi is different." What I liked so much about this line was they way Virbila made the food sound like an art. To me cooking is an art and takes time, passion, and creating in creating their works just like any artist would with painting or music. Eating should be enjoyable and not only a task to fill us. Virbila's words in this line demonstrates how it feels to take and eat something so glorious it is like climax of a song: a thrilling, riveting moment. The author did a great job with incorporating the five senses into her article to make the reader feel like they were there in person next to the author, hearing every sound, tasting every bit, smelling every aroma that was describe with so much detail.
I have never read a restaurant review with so much description before. Every single dish had enough description that I could almost taste the food. The single best line of the restaurant review of Patina would have to be, “I'm fascinated by the way a tarragon and arugula granité heightens the flavor of strawberries. Or the way toffee and chocolate are welded together in a soft milk chocolate dessert that's subtle and under-sweetened.” I am a huge desert person and this just stood out to me the most to me. I am tempted to try and replicate the dessert mention, Virbila has given enough details about the dish that it could be replicated. She was able to describe a simple chocolate dessert with toffee and made it more appealing with her choice of words and descriptive writing. After reading this review I realized that I am going to have to put a lot of time into writing my restaurant review so that I can use the five senses to make my meal not only appealing to the reader but also to make them feel as if they are there with me too.
In all honesty I have never really cared to read restaurant reviews so I had no idea what to expect when I sat down to read this one. I felt almost as if I was reading a story with how this author described the restaurant or the food. Such great detail was displayed that I could almost imagine being there personally and trying the food. I feel like if more Restaurant critics wrote like this I would have greater desire to read the reviews. Being such a book lover and Disney nerd i found my favorite line to be in the beginning of the review. My favorite line was simply "Sometimes it feels as if the entire restaurant has been put into a state of suspended animation by an evil witch called economy." I found this line almost beautiful because it painted an image that I can see almost being magical, like a scene from Beauty and the Beast or Sleeping Beauty. I also love the fact that the evil witch is called the economy because it just allowed for us to relate in a sense that everyone has been hurt by the economy in the last few years. Although everything else in the review was written so beautifully I just find myself going back and rereading that one line. It was a line that had nothing to do with critiquing the food and yet it made the entire review for me.
I would like to point out that after reading this article I went to dinner becasue this article made me so hungry. She gave the food so much life on paper, and I dont know if im more impressed with how amazing the food sounds or her ability to describe in detail what she was eating. I have never read something and gotten so hungry where I had to go out for dinner, but if anyone is interested I went to dinner at Saltys. I was craving BBQ. My favorite line that she wrote was when she said her food was "decorative, but not decoration". I found it interesting because today people seem to foucs so much on the food being a decoration to the table instead of a delcious meal that someone would like to indulge in. Not to say that restaurants should stop focusing on the presentation of the food because the presentation is the first thing I see, but If the presentation and taste do not go hand in hand then what is the point? I would rather talk about how great the food tastes as opposed to talking about how great it looked but the taste didn't match.
The single best line that I thought was so appealing was when the critique said, "Butter-poached lobster is a luscious preparation presented with spring vegetables." I found it appealing because my mouth began to water as I imagine the lobster right in front of me. How she described it was so vivid and I can imagine how greatly decorated it was. I've read many critiques on restaurants but none really like this. It gives me a full description about the whole restaurant and food. It tells me the whole experience in their perspective and I'd try to apply it as if I were to be there myself. Sometime people would judge restaurants by their title or look but with great reviews and experiences brings out great outcomes. I'm very impressed how she descriptively written every detail possible and I think it's a great way of telling others what the experience was like.
The restaurant review of Patina was very descriptive. The author made me want to go to Patina to have this wonderful experience even though I have never heard of this restaurant before. And ultimately, a well written restaurant review is supposed to make the reader want to go to the restaurant to have that same wonderful experience (if it was an excellent restaurant). The author’s use of personification and detailed description brought life to her writing. There were a couple of lines I enjoyed, but the one that stood out to me the most was “A moment outside of the everyday, and a rare indulgence.” The line comes after the author writes about slowing down in order to enjoy the meal and the social aspect of eating, and this is “A moment outside of the everyday, and a rare indulgence.” Too many people (myself included) eat too fast or don’t eat at all because of our busy schedules and this makes enjoying a meal rare. We should make time to just sit down, eat, and enjoy time with friends and family. Slowing down and enjoying the food makes a huge difference in the experience. Sadly, this experience of slowing down has become a “rare indulgence”.
The best line from the restaurant review is, "Underneath a soft pillow of gray-green artichoke purée and scattered around the plate, are roasted quartered baby artichokes and slices of artichoke so fine they look as if they have been prepared for the microscope in a barigoule jus dotted with emerald parsley purée." This line was extremely well thought out and executed properly. The food critic makes a perfect description of the food that gives you the essential imagery of what it would look like. The description of thinly cut artichoke that can only be seen through a microscope gives you a whole new meaning to thinly cut. The author did this line so well that it allows the reader to feel like they are actually there to experience the food and ambiance. This is why the line I picked was the best line of the review.
Every time I look up restaurant reviews, I never really read the review I always skip to how many stars the restaurant has. The review was very descriptive and I didn't expect for my mouth to water. The best line I read from the restaurant review was, "A vein of tart strawberry-rhubarb compote runs down the middle, and for color, the top is glazed in a brilliant scarlet, which echoes the chunks of strawberry and rhubarb forming another long rectangle on the plate." Strawberry is my favorite! The review is so detailed and vivid with words that I can literally picture the colors, shape, texture, and taste of the plate. I didn't think even describing the shape of the entree would make a difference in description, but it does. The description is so amazingly detailed that it puts the reader inside the restaurant and eating the food being described.
“Sometimes it feels as if the entire restaurant has been put into a state of suspended animation by an evil witch called the economy.” It is not the best line of the restaurant review, but it was the most interesting. Most of the review talked about the atmosphere, the cook, and the food itself, but this line seemed more intriguing to me than all of that. It upset me and yet made me read on with an eye towards the writer’s motives. Was the fine diner really reviewing this four star restaurant, or were they showcasing how the poor economy has affected high end businesses? This is a professional food critic. I was sucked in to the words and I felt like I was at the restaurant enjoying the ambiance. However, I cannot help but feel this review might have been construed by the business itself for advertising purposes. This establishment was by no means hurting so I am surprised that the critic decided to touch on this subject at all. They made sure to mention that it was a great place with a newer cook who deserved business. After reading this line, it was hard for me to focus on whether the writer truly took the experience to heart. I felt like it was an excuse to promote and possibly get something in return from the restaurants owners. Perhaps this was just me?
The single best line of the restaurant review of Patina would have to be “With an unfaltering sense of color and proportion – and taste – the chef has composed a cityscape of vegetables in a coral-red pool of their cooking juices.” What I found so appealing about this line was how much imagery I imagined in just one single line of description. I like how she compared the plate of vegetables as “mosaic” art and a “cityscape”. The way she describes the dish full of vegetables made my mouth water and feel as if I were right there looking at the dish myself. It was as if I could see the mixture of all the vegetable colors in the dish dripping with juices. All five senses appeared in just this single line of the restaurant review. After reading this article, I realized that cooking is more than just cooking it’s a way of art. Also that as I were reading my hunger for food grew stronger.
The best lines of the Patina restaurant review for me were the lines "The restaurant is a place where everything — the ambience, the service, the food and the wine work seamlessly to create a sense of occasion. It's the time to slow down, to savor the food and the company." I found these lines appealing because it made me feel like this is the place to be. It made me feel that this would be a perfect place to enjoy an occasion. The second line was also appealing to me because we tend to live life too fast and juggle many responsibilities that we hardly ever make the time to sit down with friends or family and enjoy the little things in life.
The author begins the review describing how she and her friends experienced visiting the restaurant. I think that this allows readers to view the review as more than just a food review, but also a review of the social aspect of the visit. Most people go out to fine dining, for the social experience and atmosphere, as well as the food. I noticed her descriptive words weren’t the cliché adjectives you would expect for a food review, like “sweet” or “delicious”. She used adjectives to describe color such as “coral-red pool of…juices” or a “nubbin of emerald baby zucchini”. “Dreamy” or “gleaming” are other adjectives that I wouldn’t expect to describe food. Overall, I feel that the review gives the readers more than just a food review, but a whole restaurant review, describing prices, atmosphere, background on the chef, as well as the rest of the staff. This gives the reader an overall review of what to expect during their dining experience.
This review appealed to all the senses. You don’t even need to be there to feel like you have already tasted everything. The writer did such a great job at reviewing this restaurant that I think it made a large number of people want to go to it. Many people go to a restaurant to be able to relax and have someone wait on them for a change. “The restaurant is a place where everything - the ambience, the service, the food and the wine work seamlessly to create a sense of occasion.” I think that this is a great statement to be made about a restaurant because that’s the purpose of one. I work at an Italian restaurant here in Bakersfield and we want everyone that comes in and sits down to be comfortable and be well taken care of. Everything needs to move smoothly in a restaurant for people to want to come back. There is a certain flow that is required in a restaurant setting and it sounds like Patina has that. I really enjoyed all the descriptions that Virbila made about the different foods. If I ever go I would want to try the “round, plump ravioli” or the “butter-poached lobster.” It sounds like a great place to dine.
It was interesting reading about a restaurant review because I have never read one like this before. The detail that the author put into describing every food made me feel like I was actually tasting that food. I really liked the lines that said, "It's the time to slow down, to savor the food and the company. A moment outside of the everyday, and a rare indulgence." Im one of those persons that is always in a hurry and when I'm eating in a hurry, I don't enjoy my food at all. I don't pay attention to the first bite, I don't pay attention where I'm eating my food, and I don't even pay attention if I'm almost done with my food or not. However, when I'm in good company I tend to talk more than eat my food. Especially if I'm doing some catching up with a friend. Also, when we go out to eat as a family, I tend to eat my food comfortably because going out with family is one of my favorite things to do.
The only food critiques that I have ever read are usually on Yelp.com and I am sure that they are not professionally written like this one is. The way she starts describing the restaurant, the staff, the chef, and the unique menu and ingredients that the chef uses is beautifully written. My favorite line was "The restaurant is a place where everything — the ambiance, the service, the food and the wine work seamlessly to create a sense of occasion."Working in a restaurant, I know that it is important to make every one of our guests feel welcoming, as if they were in their own home. This makes their experience much better and I think that they enjoy their food better. This experience will make them want to return and enjoy our delicious food again. Guests notice everything from the way in which they are greeted to how many times the server visits the table and asks if everything is okay. I welcome my guests at work as I would family members that come over for dinner at my house. This line does a perfect job of describing what guests should experience when coming to eat at any restaurant.
The single best line that has stood out to me was “Sometimes it feels as if the entire restaurant has been put into a state of suspended animation by an evil witch called the economy.” To me this line gave me a sense of me seeing Patina through the eyes of the author. I felt like I could picture every single detail of the restaurant form simply reading this line. It made me feel as though I could also feel the emotions floating in the environment. The atmosphere of the restaurant is—from simply reading this line—depressive. This line lets me know that the atmosphere is slow and many of the workers aren’t as happy working there in comparison to earlier times—the time before the economy was prosperous. The author goes on to talk about the food in Patina, and states how it’s prepared deliciously. The author describes the food with imagery, in which it allows the reader to vividly imagine the food that is being described. In doing so, the author goes from making the restaurant look as if it is an empty soul, and changes it to something that could be described as a restaurant that still has its potential—if it wasn’t for the economy.
I found this review of a restaurant very interesting, because I typically shy away from any reviews regarding restaurants. There were many lines that I found great, but if I had to pick one it would be, “Bite by bite, I explore artichoke variations ordered à la carte from the vegetarian tasting menu too. Underneath a soft pillow of gray-green artichoke purée and scattered around the plate, are roasted quartered baby artichokes and slices of artichoke so fine they look as if they have been prepared for the microscope in a barigoule jus dotted with emerald parsley purée.” I really enjoyed these two sentences the author used to describe her plate of food. Everything she stated about the food was very easy to picture as I read the article. I constantly read articles from many newspapers and websites, and one thing that turns me away from reading is how dull the writers can be. In this case, the writer did an excellent job making the reader feel like they were at the restaurant. As I said earlier, I normally never read “restaurant reviews” because I do not take one person’s opinion into consideration, but this writer avoided giving many opinions. She painted a picture with words, detailing every experience she encountered. Honestly, I would never go to a restaurant like this, because I would feel like I don’t belong. Not only that, but I am not willing to pay twenty dollars or more for water.
This is exactly how I pictured a restaurant review to be like. I have never read an actual review till this week. I read this review a couple times to make sure I didn't miss anything. The author writes in great detail to ensure the readers get a sense of her experience. I know I did as I read her review. I felt as if I was the one there eating not her. The line that stood out to me the most was "The chef certainly has a talent for creating beautiful compositions, marshalling ingredients into geometric precision." This stood out to me because I have never thought about how my food is arranged when it is brought to my table. I have never taken the time to look at my food before I eat it. I have never stopped to admire the food and see how the food is set up and how it is composed. I love how she worded that line, she makes the food look so amazingly beautiful. She really captured how the food looked for the readers to get the idea of what to expect if they were to go to the restaurant.
This is exactly how I pictured a restaurant review to be like. I have never read an actual review till this week. I read this review a couple times to make sure I didn't miss anything. The author writes in great detail to ensure the readers get a sense of her experience. I know I did as I read her review. I felt as if I was the one there eating not her. The line that stood out to me the most was "The chef certainly has a talent for creating beautiful compositions, marshalling ingredients into geometric precision." This stood out to me because I have never thought about how my food is arranged when it is brought to my table. I have never taken the time to look at my food before I eat it. I have never stopped to admire the food and see how the food is set up and how it is composed. I love how she worded that line, she makes the food look so amazingly beautiful. She really captured how the food looked for the readers to get the idea of what to expect if they were to go to the restaurant.
This is my first real descriptive review of a restaurant. I fell I love with the detail used to describe not only the food, but also the overall experience. The best line for the restaurant review of Patina was when the critic said “Close your eyes. Pay attention to the first bite of the amuse.” I enjoyed this line because it holds truth on how people should eat their meals. I think our society is always preoccupied that we forget to take the time and savor our food. On many occasions I’ve seen couples and families at restaurants with their smartphones on, taking pictures of the food or simply scrolling on social media. Then, they eat the food quickly and leave. I understand that food is meant simply to survive, but food can be much more than that. Food can be savored and eaten to enjoy every bite and if great company is at the dinner table, then the experience can be unforgettable.
This is this the first time I have actually read a restaurant review and this review was so great. The way the author describes all the food so vividly and describes the restaurant makes you feel like you really are in the restaurant experiencing everything. The single best line that of the restaurant was, "A vein of tart strawberry-rhubarb compote runs down the middle, and for color, the top is glazed in a brilliant scarlet, which echoes the chunks of strawberry and rhubarb forming another long rectangle on the plate." This line is so illustrative the way she describes the colors in the dessert. You can almost taste it in your mouth. The author did an amazing job reviewing this restaurant.
I thought the review was very descriptive and very informative. In a way it made me feel like I was there watching the review be conducted firsthand. The way the food was described was vibrate and intense. It is interesting how one can describe food in such a way, it was great. The line that caught my attention was "Close your eyes. Pay attention to the first bite of the amuse." I think meals are important and enjoying them with people you love, creates memories and stories for one to share. I think we miss out on a lot of that with technology people seem to forget what it is like to slow down and enjoy quality time with other people.
As a restaurant critic, it isn't surprising how talented the writer is in her capability to transport readers into the moment. As per her profession, she was able to succinctly and creatively describe each dish and its components. My mouth was pretty much watering at the butter-poached lobster And yet as a writer, she had the ability to allow the reader to feel empathy for the restaurant's professional situation, although they were not by any means struggling.
ReplyDeleteUsually, works that require a great descriptive detail, a lot of the material can get lost in the numerous adjectives used. Unnecessary and unnatural adjectives can form odd sentences and may lead to an overall work that doesn't 'flow'. Throughout the writing, it was clear that the writer took a great deal of effort in each word she used. I hope to be able to accomplish the same in the Restaurant Essay.
I realized I'd forgotten to add in my favorite line: "It's the time to slow down, to savor the food and the company. A moment outside of the everyday, and a rare indulgence." I know I am definitely guilty of this but during meals, especially when I'm alone, I tend to eat while I'm doing other things. Either while getting work done, while sitting in front of the TV, or while wasting time on my phone. Unfortunately, it's simply the reality of it. A lot of us don't have the time to enjoy a meal either due to work obligations or because we're in a hurry to move on. Food is often seen as a means to survive, and while that is true, we should also be able to spend the time to "slow down and savor the meal and the company." Eating is not simply done to survive but it can also be a memorable experience.
DeleteThere was so much in this review that I found appealing, but what stood out to me the most was the vivid description of the “mosaic” vegetable dish. I love vegetables and so this illustration stayed with me throughout the entire reading. For many people, vegetables may not be a favorite food item, but I am certain that this description would turn anyone toward accepting them. The way the restaurant critic describes them through writing is simply amazing and it formulates an image of this particular dish for the reader. My mouth began to water as I imagined the beautiful arrangement of the variety of colors of the vegetables, and the flavors that would come upon taking a bite. It is both a work of art and something delicious and refreshing to eat.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading the article, I felt as if I was eating the food through the computer screen. My mouth was watering everytime the critic described a meal. The author made me feel as if I was in her shoes, sitting in the restaurant and eating the food. The best line of the restaurant review was, "It's the time to slow down, to savor the food, and the company" because these were critical points of what we do when we go to a restaurant. I agree with the author because we do chose the company who attends because we like to enjoy good food with good company. Time slows down and we forget about our problems and appreciate the food and company at the moment. We catch ourselves so many times reciting, "Oh my, this is the best thing I ever tasted. It tastes like heaven!" We savor the taste and can't wait to visit again.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I do not read many food critiques but I felt as though this food critique had so much detail that I was experiencing this with the author. This is done with credit to her excellent use of descriptive adjectives and details. One line in particular that stood out to me was the line where she describes the presentation of the vegetables and their vibrant colors... "Now just look at his glazed vegetable mosaic. What a breathtaking dish. With an unfaltering sense of color and proportion — and taste — the chef has composed a cityscape of vegetables in a coral-red pool of their cooking juices." This description alone provides the reader with a vivid image of what the author is about to consume. I also find it interesting how to author uses words that almost seem unconventional as adjectives. For example in that same quote above she describes the variety of vegetables as a cityscape. I would have not thought to use that word to make the correlation between their appearance but the author in this food critique makes it work.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time reading a restaurant review. I have read the yelp ratings, but I just look at the stars, so I doubt that is a credible rating. The review was very interesting, there was so much detail and description in the review. While I was reading the review, I felt like I was reading about a restaurant from a movie the descriptions seemed surreal. By reading the review, I was able to see how detail is very important. The more detail one offers while writing, the more the audience can capture what the event was like. My favorite line in the review was when they were describing the dessert,"or the way toffee and chocolate are welded together in a soft milk chocolate dessert that's subtle and under sweetened".This was my favorite line because I love dessert, and I can picture the dessert as I read the line and I could feel my mouth begin to water. The author did an excellent job in describing the food because as you read you can picture everything in your head.
ReplyDeleteThe single best line of the review from Patina for me was "The restaurant is a place where everything — the ambience, the service, the food and the wine work seamlessly to create a sense of occasion." It held so much truth in one statement that it should be the motive for every restaurant. If all of the subjects do not flow together to create a memory of an occasion, then why go to a common place to eat when the value isn't there? Why waste an experience on something that will not entice your every movement of taste and satisfaction? Patina did an excellent review. Every word and description was so engulfing to the reader and brought you the sense of the experience right off the page. I liked how Patina said it was "decorative, but not decoration." The food was not untouchable and Patina let you feel that with the amount of correlation between the food itself and the appearance of it. Food has to look appetizing in order for it to be consumed. If it looks to over done then it's hard to enjoy the simplicity of it.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I misinterpreted the author for Patina. I just reread what I wrote and reread the review. That is embarrassing, but I'm glad I caught myself.
DeleteMy single favorite line that I found in Virbila's review was "Each element plays against the other, so that depending on how you orchestrate it, each bite of hamachi is different." What I liked so much about this line was they way Virbila made the food sound like an art. To me cooking is an art and takes time, passion, and creating in creating their works just like any artist would with painting or music. Eating should be enjoyable and not only a task to fill us. Virbila's words in this line demonstrates how it feels to take and eat something so glorious it is like climax of a song: a thrilling, riveting moment. The author did a great job with incorporating the five senses into her article to make the reader feel like they were there in person next to the author, hearing every sound, tasting every bit, smelling every aroma that was describe with so much detail.
ReplyDeleteI have never read a restaurant review with so much description before. Every single dish had enough description that I could almost taste the food. The single best line of the restaurant review of Patina would have to be, “I'm fascinated by the way a tarragon and arugula granité heightens the flavor of strawberries. Or the way toffee and chocolate are welded together in a soft milk chocolate dessert that's subtle and under-sweetened.” I am a huge desert person and this just stood out to me the most to me. I am tempted to try and replicate the dessert mention, Virbila has given enough details about the dish that it could be replicated. She was able to describe a simple chocolate dessert with toffee and made it more appealing with her choice of words and descriptive writing. After reading this review I realized that I am going to have to put a lot of time into writing my restaurant review so that I can use the five senses to make my meal not only appealing to the reader but also to make them feel as if they are there with me too.
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty I have never really cared to read restaurant reviews so I had no idea what to expect when I sat down to read this one. I felt almost as if I was reading a story with how this author described the restaurant or the food. Such great detail was displayed that I could almost imagine being there personally and trying the food. I feel like if more Restaurant critics wrote like this I would have greater desire to read the reviews. Being such a book lover and Disney nerd i found my favorite line to be in the beginning of the review. My favorite line was simply "Sometimes it feels as if the entire restaurant has been put into a state of suspended animation by an evil witch called economy." I found this line almost beautiful because it painted an image that I can see almost being magical, like a scene from Beauty and the Beast or Sleeping Beauty. I also love the fact that the evil witch is called the economy because it just allowed for us to relate in a sense that everyone has been hurt by the economy in the last few years. Although everything else in the review was written so beautifully I just find myself going back and rereading that one line. It was a line that had nothing to do with critiquing the food and yet it made the entire review for me.
ReplyDeleteI would like to point out that after reading this article I went to dinner becasue this article made me so hungry. She gave the food so much life on paper, and I dont know if im more impressed with how amazing the food sounds or her ability to describe in detail what she was eating. I have never read something and gotten so hungry where I had to go out for dinner, but if anyone is interested I went to dinner at Saltys. I was craving BBQ. My favorite line that she wrote was when she said her food was "decorative, but not decoration". I found it interesting because today people seem to foucs so much on the food being a decoration to the table instead of a delcious meal that someone would like to indulge in. Not to say that restaurants should stop focusing on the presentation of the food because the presentation is the first thing I see, but If the presentation and taste do not go hand in hand then what is the point? I would rather talk about how great the food tastes as opposed to talking about how great it looked but the taste didn't match.
ReplyDeleteThe single best line that I thought was so appealing was when the critique said, "Butter-poached lobster is a luscious preparation presented with spring vegetables." I found it appealing because my mouth began to water as I imagine the lobster right in front of me. How she described it was so vivid and I can imagine how greatly decorated it was. I've read many critiques on restaurants but none really like this. It gives me a full description about the whole restaurant and food. It tells me the whole experience in their perspective and I'd try to apply it as if I were to be there myself. Sometime people would judge restaurants by their title or look but with great reviews and experiences brings out great outcomes. I'm very impressed how she descriptively written every detail possible and I think it's a great way of telling others what the experience was like.
ReplyDeleteThe restaurant review of Patina was very descriptive. The author made me want to go to Patina to have this wonderful experience even though I have never heard of this restaurant before. And ultimately, a well written restaurant review is supposed to make the reader want to go to the restaurant to have that same wonderful experience (if it was an excellent restaurant). The author’s use of personification and detailed description brought life to her writing. There were a couple of lines I enjoyed, but the one that stood out to me the most was “A moment outside of the everyday, and a rare indulgence.” The line comes after the author writes about slowing down in order to enjoy the meal and the social aspect of eating, and this is “A moment outside of the everyday, and a rare indulgence.” Too many people (myself included) eat too fast or don’t eat at all because of our busy schedules and this makes enjoying a meal rare. We should make time to just sit down, eat, and enjoy time with friends and family. Slowing down and enjoying the food makes a huge difference in the experience. Sadly, this experience of slowing down has become a “rare indulgence”.
ReplyDeleteThe best line from the restaurant review is, "Underneath a soft pillow of gray-green artichoke purée and scattered around the plate, are roasted quartered baby artichokes and slices of artichoke so fine they look as if they have been prepared for the microscope in a barigoule jus dotted with emerald parsley purée." This line was extremely well thought out and executed properly. The food critic makes a perfect description of the food that gives you the essential imagery of what it would look like. The description of thinly cut artichoke that can only be seen through a microscope gives you a whole new meaning to thinly cut. The author did this line so well that it allows the reader to feel like they are actually there to experience the food and ambiance. This is why the line I picked was the best line of the review.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I look up restaurant reviews, I never really read the review I always skip to how many stars the restaurant has. The review was very descriptive and I didn't expect for my mouth to water. The best line I read from the restaurant review was, "A vein of tart strawberry-rhubarb compote runs down the middle, and for color, the top is glazed in a brilliant scarlet, which echoes the chunks of strawberry and rhubarb forming another long rectangle on the plate." Strawberry is my favorite! The review is so detailed and vivid with words that I can literally picture the colors, shape, texture, and taste of the plate. I didn't think even describing the shape of the entree would make a difference in description, but it does. The description is so amazingly detailed that it puts the reader inside the restaurant and eating the food being described.
ReplyDelete“Sometimes it feels as if the entire restaurant has been put into a state of suspended animation by an evil witch called the economy.”
ReplyDeleteIt is not the best line of the restaurant review, but it was the most interesting. Most of the review talked about the atmosphere, the cook, and the food itself, but this line seemed more intriguing to me than all of that. It upset me and yet made me read on with an eye towards the writer’s motives. Was the fine diner really reviewing this four star restaurant, or were they showcasing how the poor economy has affected high end businesses? This is a professional food critic. I was sucked in to the words and I felt like I was at the restaurant enjoying the ambiance. However, I cannot help but feel this review might have been construed by the business itself for advertising purposes. This establishment was by no means hurting so I am surprised that the critic decided to touch on this subject at all. They made sure to mention that it was a great place with a newer cook who deserved business. After reading this line, it was hard for me to focus on whether the writer truly took the experience to heart. I felt like it was an excuse to promote and possibly get something in return from the restaurants owners. Perhaps this was just me?
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ReplyDeleteThe single best line of the restaurant review of Patina would have to be “With an unfaltering sense of color and proportion – and taste – the chef has composed a cityscape of vegetables in a coral-red pool of their cooking juices.” What I found so appealing about this line was how much imagery I imagined in just one single line of description. I like how she compared the plate of vegetables as “mosaic” art and a “cityscape”. The way she describes the dish full of vegetables made my mouth water and feel as if I were right there looking at the dish myself. It was as if I could see the mixture of all the vegetable colors in the dish dripping with juices. All five senses appeared in just this single line of the restaurant review. After reading this article, I realized that cooking is more than just cooking it’s a way of art. Also that as I were reading my hunger for food grew stronger.
ReplyDeleteThe best lines of the Patina restaurant review for me were the lines "The restaurant is a place where everything — the ambience, the service, the food and the wine work seamlessly to create a sense of occasion. It's the time to slow down, to savor the food and the company." I found these lines appealing because it made me feel like this is the place to be. It made me feel that this would be a perfect place to enjoy an occasion. The second line was also appealing to me because we tend to live life too fast and juggle many responsibilities that we hardly ever make the time to sit down with friends or family and enjoy the little things in life.
ReplyDeleteThe author begins the review describing how she and her friends experienced visiting the restaurant. I think that this allows readers to view the review as more than just a food review, but also a review of the social aspect of the visit. Most people go out to fine dining, for the social experience and atmosphere, as well as the food.
ReplyDeleteI noticed her descriptive words weren’t the cliché adjectives you would expect for a food review, like “sweet” or “delicious”. She used adjectives to describe color such as “coral-red pool of…juices” or a “nubbin of emerald baby zucchini”. “Dreamy” or “gleaming” are other adjectives that I wouldn’t expect to describe food.
Overall, I feel that the review gives the readers more than just a food review, but a whole restaurant review, describing prices, atmosphere, background on the chef, as well as the rest of the staff. This gives the reader an overall review of what to expect during their dining experience.
ReplyDeleteThis review appealed to all the senses. You don’t even need to be there to feel like you have already tasted everything. The writer did such a great job at reviewing this restaurant that I think it made a large number of people want to go to it. Many people go to a restaurant to be able to relax and have someone wait on them for a change. “The restaurant is a place where everything - the ambience, the service, the food and the wine work seamlessly to create a sense of occasion.” I think that this is a great statement to be made about a restaurant because that’s the purpose of one. I work at an Italian restaurant here in Bakersfield and we want everyone that comes in and sits down to be comfortable and be well taken care of. Everything needs to move smoothly in a restaurant for people to want to come back. There is a certain flow that is required in a restaurant setting and it sounds like Patina has that. I really enjoyed all the descriptions that Virbila made about the different foods. If I ever go I would want to try the “round, plump ravioli” or the “butter-poached lobster.” It sounds like a great place to dine.
It was interesting reading about a restaurant review because I have never read one like this before. The detail that the author put into describing every food made me feel like I was actually tasting that food. I really liked the lines that said, "It's the time to slow down, to savor the food and the company. A moment outside of the everyday, and a rare indulgence." Im one of those persons that is always in a hurry and when I'm eating in a hurry, I don't enjoy my food at all. I don't pay attention to the first bite, I don't pay attention where I'm eating my food, and I don't even pay attention if I'm almost done with my food or not. However, when I'm in good company I tend to talk more than eat my food. Especially if I'm doing some catching up with a friend. Also, when we go out to eat as a family, I tend to eat my food comfortably because going out with family is one of my favorite things to do.
ReplyDeleteThe only food critiques that I have ever read are usually on Yelp.com and I am sure that they are not professionally written like this one is. The way she starts describing the restaurant, the staff, the chef, and the unique menu and ingredients that the chef uses is beautifully written. My favorite line was "The restaurant is a place where everything — the ambiance, the service, the food and the wine work seamlessly to create a sense of occasion."Working in a restaurant, I know that it is important to make every one of our guests feel welcoming, as if they were in their own home. This makes their experience much better and I think that they enjoy their food better. This experience will make them want to return and enjoy our delicious food again. Guests notice everything from the way in which they are greeted to how many times the server visits the table and asks if everything is okay. I welcome my guests at work as I would family members that come over for dinner at my house. This line does a perfect job of describing what guests should experience when coming to eat at any restaurant.
ReplyDeleteThe single best line that has stood out to me was “Sometimes it feels as if the entire restaurant has been put into a state of suspended animation by an evil witch called the economy.” To me this line gave me a sense of me seeing Patina through the eyes of the author. I felt like I could picture every single detail of the restaurant form simply reading this line. It made me feel as though I could also feel the emotions floating in the environment. The atmosphere of the restaurant is—from simply reading this line—depressive. This line lets me know that the atmosphere is slow and many of the workers aren’t as happy working there in comparison to earlier times—the time before the economy was prosperous. The author goes on to talk about the food in Patina, and states how it’s prepared deliciously. The author describes the food with imagery, in which it allows the reader to vividly imagine the food that is being described. In doing so, the author goes from making the restaurant look as if it is an empty soul, and changes it to something that could be described as a restaurant that still has its potential—if it wasn’t for the economy.
ReplyDeleteI found this review of a restaurant very interesting, because I typically shy away from any reviews regarding restaurants. There were many lines that I found great, but if I had to pick one it would be, “Bite by bite, I explore artichoke variations ordered à la carte from the vegetarian tasting menu too. Underneath a soft pillow of gray-green artichoke purée and scattered around the plate, are roasted quartered baby artichokes and slices of artichoke so fine they look as if they have been prepared for the microscope in a barigoule jus dotted with emerald parsley purée.” I really enjoyed these two sentences the author used to describe her plate of food. Everything she stated about the food was very easy to picture as I read the article. I constantly read articles from many newspapers and websites, and one thing that turns me away from reading is how dull the writers can be. In this case, the writer did an excellent job making the reader feel like they were at the restaurant. As I said earlier, I normally never read “restaurant reviews” because I do not take one person’s opinion into consideration, but this writer avoided giving many opinions. She painted a picture with words, detailing every experience she encountered. Honestly, I would never go to a restaurant like this, because I would feel like I don’t belong. Not only that, but I am not willing to pay twenty dollars or more for water.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly how I pictured a restaurant review to be like. I have never read an actual review till this week. I read this review a couple times to make sure I didn't miss anything. The author writes in great detail to ensure the readers get a sense of her experience. I know I did as I read her review. I felt as if I was the one there eating not her. The line that stood out to me the most was "The chef certainly has a talent for creating beautiful compositions, marshalling ingredients into geometric precision." This stood out to me because I have never thought about how my food is arranged when it is brought to my table. I have never taken the time to look at my food before I eat it. I have never stopped to admire the food and see how the food is set up and how it is composed. I love how she worded that line, she makes the food look so amazingly beautiful. She really captured how the food looked for the readers to get the idea of what to expect if they were to go to the restaurant.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly how I pictured a restaurant review to be like. I have never read an actual review till this week. I read this review a couple times to make sure I didn't miss anything. The author writes in great detail to ensure the readers get a sense of her experience. I know I did as I read her review. I felt as if I was the one there eating not her. The line that stood out to me the most was "The chef certainly has a talent for creating beautiful compositions, marshalling ingredients into geometric precision." This stood out to me because I have never thought about how my food is arranged when it is brought to my table. I have never taken the time to look at my food before I eat it. I have never stopped to admire the food and see how the food is set up and how it is composed. I love how she worded that line, she makes the food look so amazingly beautiful. She really captured how the food looked for the readers to get the idea of what to expect if they were to go to the restaurant.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first real descriptive review of a restaurant. I fell I love with the detail used to describe not only the food, but also the overall experience. The best line for the restaurant review of Patina was when the critic said “Close your eyes. Pay attention to the first bite of the amuse.” I enjoyed this line because it holds truth on how people should eat their meals. I think our society is always preoccupied that we forget to take the time and savor our food. On many occasions I’ve seen couples and families at restaurants with their smartphones on, taking pictures of the food or simply scrolling on social media. Then, they eat the food quickly and leave. I understand that food is meant simply to survive, but food can be much more than that. Food can be savored and eaten to enjoy every bite and if great company is at the dinner table, then the experience can be unforgettable.
ReplyDeleteThis is this the first time I have actually read a restaurant review and this review was so great. The way the author describes all the food so vividly and describes the restaurant makes you feel like you really are in the restaurant experiencing everything. The single best line that of the restaurant was, "A vein of tart strawberry-rhubarb compote runs down the middle, and for color, the top is glazed in a brilliant scarlet, which echoes the chunks of strawberry and rhubarb forming another long rectangle on the plate." This line is so illustrative the way she describes the colors in the dessert. You can almost taste it in your mouth. The author did an amazing job reviewing this restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI apologize I thought my post had been posted.
ReplyDeleteI thought the review was very descriptive and very informative. In a way it made me feel like I was there watching the review be conducted firsthand. The way the food was described was vibrate and intense. It is interesting how one can describe food in such a way, it was great. The line that caught my attention was "Close your eyes. Pay attention to the first bite of the amuse." I think meals are important and enjoying them with people you love, creates memories and stories for one to share. I think we miss out on a lot of that with technology people seem to forget what it is like to slow down and enjoy quality time with other people.