Why Food Reviews?

I have never been helped much by restaurant reviews. Either the reviewer is overly swayed by a restaurant's reputation and popularity or considers a good value the super-sized Beltbuster. I read the local press' “Best Of” annuals and I am usually disappointed in their choices and sometimes downright upset; which is why I started writing reviews myself, to exorcise this demon of food commentary and at the same time, to help the hungry wayfarer find a good place for lunch, dinner, coffee, or just a quiet place to read.

Qualifications: I have lived here 25+ years and have watched downtown Fort Worth change from a night time ghost town to a very enjoyable place to visit and to show off to friends. My father and grandfather owned and operated an Italian restaurant near Philadelphia. I watched them, and listened, and taste-tested. When my grandfather retired he set up a kitchen in his basement. I grew up on his tomato sauces, lasagna, and beef braciole, and on my grandmother's Ricotta cheese pie, and on my mother's Veal Parmesan or cream chipped beef on toasted English muffins. They taught me the difference between dining and eating, and the enjoyment of a noisy, robust dinner table, with real food.