Food Fight – back from Hiatus

Regular readers of Food Fight may have noticed a long hiatus between posts, mostly concerning the running series “Food and Loafing in Las Vegas”. First I’d like to say that I am quite sorry for that lapse – and I wish I could have not had it happen. But as truth is stranger than fiction, the reasons for the extended pause follow that formula.

To begin – I wanted to do things the “Right” way. I wrote facilities Emails & made phone calls repeatedly, asking for the express permission to use Logos, Names and perhaps even take Photographs. Many of the places in question ignored me completely – so I thought ‘Screw it” and did as I pleased, using whatever I had at hand. Some of them were nice enough to write me back and while not at all saying ‘NO’, were quite unhelpful as to my requests. basically, it was a wall of apathy. They want Press, but don’t seem to understand that the Food Blog IS the up and coming way for people to check out if a place is worth spending their hard earned Dollars at.

Big clue to all the Casino properties – a single bad review is more damaging by far than a bunch of ‘half off’ coupons can pull you out of. No, that’s not a threat – just a friendly clue. I pride myself in calling things the way they truly are – which is why I turned down several offers of Free buffets when I made my inquiries. Sure, I could have enjoyed a night out on their dime – but then *I* would question my own integrity as to any review I wrote about the establishment.

On the bright side, I’d like to give major Kudos to the Tropicana property. When I asked them, they were polite, were thrilled at the idea – but since they were undergoing major renovations across the whole property, they’d prefer I waited until things were settled. Thanks Tropicana -I will wait, and I will be sure to see you as soon as you are done.

So, from this point on, I will be doing my level best to get to the rest of the On and Off Strip Buffets as soon as I can. In fact, I already have 3 in the bag ready to go – look for them starting next week.

But while I have your attention, allow me to rant a bit about the silly world of Food Blogs & Food “Critics”.

Is it any wonder more and more people are turning to Food Blogs to get information about a place to eat? I mean seriously here, ‘Critics” have for some reason started to take themselves seriously – so much so that the Camp portrayal of one in the Pixar film Ratatouille (Anton Ego, ably voiced by Peter O’Toole) seems far more lifelike now than it did when I first watched the film.

So, let’s not mince words, shall we? Nowadays, Food “Critics” have turned into a bunch of pretentious, pompous, overbearing pricks. No longer is their cause a celebration of Food, telling everyone within earshot where to find “the good stuff”. No, today’s ‘Critics” are self important windbags, feeling that the success of an establishment rests squarely on their shoulders. They seem to honestly believe that a bad review from them will send people screaming away from an establishment faster than if a diner found a human finger in their Fries.

This is not to say that some of them aren’t quite entertaining, and even endearing in their way. Jeffrey Steingarten comes to mind. No doubt if you watch the Food Network you’ve seen his self importance on display on shows such as Iron Chef: America & Worst Cooks in America. His very bearing exudes that his opinion should trump those of his fellow judges, and with snide comments tossed towards his fellows, he amuses us to no end. Just watch him though. The very way he holds himself, the words he chooses – all are indications that he is above all of us as far as cuisine goes.

Consider this quote from his book ‘The man Who Ate Everything’;  “I have always considered “Greek cuisine” an oxymoron. Nations are like people. Some are good at cooking while others have a talent for baseball or manufacturing memory chips.” In this one statement, he not only looks down his nose at US, but also towards the Greeks, Taiwanese and even the rest of America. I don’t know about the rest of you – but while Spanakopita & Baklava may not be haute cuisine, it’s tasty. And in the end – isn’t THAT what we really want, good tasting food?

So really now – this is a call to all of you out there. I want to see your opinion. Respond to this blog post, or mail me directly at Renegade @ShootFinish.com with your thoughts. Do you pay attention to Restaurant Critics anymore – or have you left them behind to discover your own Culinary adventures? And don’t forget to Digg it, send it to your friends – let’s really see what people think!