There isn’t a day that does by that doesn’t show a newspaper illustrating a hot new restaurant. Still, when you look at the restaurant reviews you often wonder, just what those fancy terms actually mean. A source of much pride to food critics, the lingo used often leaves the rest of us perplexed. Below is a funny, but informative guide to assist translating what you read.
Food Terms
You will see a lot of words that just have no food context at all, under normal circumstances. Ethereal and sublime are usually employed when you want to describe a dish that is very tasty or unusually light. Delicately plated probably means that there was very little food involved and substantive, the dish left the critic feeling like he had just swallowed a brick.
It is also light to research the different sauces if you want to understand the food description at any restaurant. A béchamel is a white sauce; a béarnaise is made from eggs, butter, vinegar and herbs. A veloute is a white sauce made on a stock base; espagnole is a rich brown sauce made from stock. Additionally there is also the well-known vinaigrette. These are just a few of the food critics lingo found in recipe descriptions that you should understand to completely understand what you are getting.
Establishment Clues
There are numerous restaurants around that have an exceptional influence that can be found anywhere. You may find that one of the best meals you have ever had was made in a hole-in-the-wall establishment in the worst part of town, or a poor meal served at a fancy hotel. Unfortunately there is no link when it comes to the outside appearance of a restaurant and the quality of its food.
When in doubt, restaurant critics will try to paint a positive picture. You might see the word “quaint†as part of the description – that means hole-in-the-wall or over decorated kitschy style. The world elegant can illustrate a restaurant that is overdone. While thematic could describe a restaurant that talks about a group of servers who walk around in pirate hats. All that said it doesn’t mean the food can’t be outstanding. One of my favorite Mexican restaurants sits in a hole-in-the-wall with a questionable solarium, but the hand made tortillas, the piquant yet succulent green chili and the home made horchata can’t be beat by any fancy franchise.
In the end, the only way to find out if a restaurant reviewer has the same tastes as you do is to head out to those places that he recommends. In some cases this may mean that you will be required to visit areas that may be particularly dangerous after dark. Make plans for your self defense, even if you don’t expect to encounter a lick of trouble. Bring a stun gun flashlight, TASER or an additional type of non-lethal tool so that you can enjoy the food adventure.
