http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2013/02/14/quartet-smoke-and-mirrors Comments On: Quartet: Smoke and Mirrors by Chris Onstad en-us Copyright 2013 Portland Mercury. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, Portland Mercury readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact Portland Mercury. webmaster@portlandmercury.com (Portland Mercury Webmaster) Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Thu, 23 May 2013 02:15:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Posted by CoffeeAddict]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:48:15 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by CoffeeAddict]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:45:13 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by arenit]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:59:10 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by rich bachelor]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:04:02 -0800 Portland Mercury
But then I look at the menu and see they are going for "Upscale Resort in Phoenix" and I realize even if it did get better, it will never be good.

I can't wait for Portland to finally embrace dining that is both strikingly beautiful and strikingly delicious. Misfires like this set our whole city back.
Posted by rangerhunter]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:31:46 -0800 Portland Mercury
Sure, if Chris wanted to be confrontational( I certainly wish people in general in this town would start doing more of) he would have told the manager the myriad of flaws. What is to be gained by that in the moment? Really? Trust me I have stood there and had a guest tell me every tiny flaw to their meal. It's uncomfortable and largely aimed at getting the bill comped. How much freer could this free meal have gotten?

As an Employee of The Merc, charged with reviewing restaurants, I would say Chris did exactly what was/is asked of him. A Critics duty is to the reader, not the restaurant.

As to the food described herein......LOL. Now that we have decided that a restaurant zero people that read the Merc would ever contemplate going to sucks, perhaps we can get back to OMGing over the latest sandwich shop that opened with a pork belly banh mi for $9 and Fernet on tap(revolutionary!!)
Posted by C.O.]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:26:50 -0800 Portland Mercury
On the other hand, Chris, although I enjoyed this, I don't know why you bothered (going, and also writing about it).
Posted by sgp]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:25:48 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by rich bachelor]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:12:07 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by Ginny]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:10:29 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by The Showstopper]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:01:14 -0800 Portland Mercury
You say your policy is generally to wait until a place has been open two months before reviewing, but you excuse this policy "for reasons listed below" -- but your reasons just seem so fickle. Blueberries rolling on the plate? Salad in a bread bowl? I was expecting far greater atrocities than this.
Posted by arenit]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:00:51 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by tm]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:47:52 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by Drunk & Write]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:24:56 -0800 Portland Mercury "I feel like something should be said, if only so that at least one person is honest with the management."

So he thinks that this needs to be said to the management, but he doesn't want to have to actually tell them. He wants to avoid the confrontation and actual honesty that would result from answering the question that he was asked.
Posted by Graham]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:22:42 -0800 Portland Mercury
I still don't see the cowardice thing, implicitly or not. I don't think he was scared or too weak-kneed to say anything to the guy's face, he just didn't want to be an asshole (rude), which he explicitly admits with that last line you quoted.
Posted by human in training]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:13:00 -0800 Portland Mercury "She was too polite to tell the truth, and said it was nice. I couldn't speak, and merely shook his hand. It seemed rude to tell the emperor he had no clothes."

Part of soft openings and media days for new restaurants is to get feedback on the quality of the product so that you don't send slop to paying customers (admittedly, I've only been in the opening of two restaurants; so maybe other people do it differently). However, the type of customer in Portland that will go this kind of place isn't the hedonistic type that hangs out with the actual kitchen staff like Onstad or many of the Merc's readers. So maybe this place is hitting the market they want and we're just not it. I mean, how many of us ever really go to El Gaucho if we're paying the bill? In the $80/plate range, I can get 7 course prix fixe from Naomi at Beast and it'll be the best meal I eat all year. But Nike execs aren't going to do a power lunch there, are they?
Posted by Graham]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:32:43 -0800 Portland Mercury
Cowardice? Why, because he didn't want to embarrass the man on his big night in front of everybody and possibly start a scene? A silent handshake followed by a bad review is harsh enough. It wasn't 'cowardice'; it was 'consideration'. (Or at least as considerate as a food critic poised to write a negative review can possibly be...)
Posted by human in training]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:26:58 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by Graham]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:10:55 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by rich bachelor]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 11:56:56 -0800 Portland Mercury Posted by Graham]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 11:23:51 -0800 Portland Mercury