MaddieZ’s Weblog

When a critic writes a review of a restaurant, there is much more to consider than just the food. They must also take into account the location, the atmosphere, the presentation and the service. However, there are also many things that the critic must do in order to provide an accurate, honest and complete review of a restaurant. Just going there one time is not sufficient experience to write a good review. And for the reader, it is important that they consider the evidence that the critic offers to back his claim. At first, I started to wonder how there could possibly be evidence when visiting a restaurant. But then I got to thinking and realized there is an aray of possibilities in finding evidence. The reader must consider how knowledgable the author is on the restaurant. They must consider whether or not the author addresses such issues as the price, the management, and the history of the restaurant. It is also extremely important that the author recognizes the certain feel that the restaurant owners are aiming for, whether it be laid back and care free or more formal and elegant. All this being said, once the critic publishes the review, the owners of the restaurants have a lot to consider. They shouldn’t make drastic changes after just reading one negative review. They need to look into it more by reading other reviews and getting other opinions. It is important that they look at the evidence the critic gives in the article that supports their opposition to the restaurant. If all of these things are considered, I think that restaurant reviews can be extremely helpful for both the restaurant owners and their potential customers.

When thinking of my favorite restaurants or even when we are deciding where to go to eat for the next meal, many things come to mind when making our decision. It is not just the food that counts, it is the overall experience. In a sense, restaurants make specific decisions to present themselves in a certain manner. With this is mind, restaurants hope that their customers will remember them in a positve way so that they will come back again. This is similar to the motives of an author or presenter of a specific argument. They make specific choices in their diction, tone, figures of speech and other language devices. For restaurants, things such as friendly service, welcoming environment, and obviously the food are all “devices” that restaurant owners focus on. Two very powerful, and often overlooked, aspects of an argument are the introduction and conclusion. The elements included in thes introduction need to evoke interest and excitement so that the reader will continue on. The conclusion is equally as important because the information included in this part are the ideas that the reader will take with them. In comparing this to the restaurant business, there are many parallels. It is important that the “introduction” or the greeting from the hostess is very important. If the customers get a bad feeling from the entrance, they may turn around and go somehwere else. And once the meal has been finished, it is important that the customers are acknowledged as they walk out. If they feel ignored, they are less likely to return in the future. Now to the body of the argument. The information must be presented clearly and the author or presenter must be well informed on the topic. Another important aspect of the argument is the intended audience, who will be reading this and what is their background. In the restaurant world, the “body” would be the meal and everything in between the greeting and their departure. In opening a restaurant, the owners must consider what type of food they will be serving, what audience they will appeal to whether it be young and modern or more formal and family oriented, the atmosphere and the menu. The waiters must be friendly and they must be knowledgeable about the items on the menu. If all of the aspects discussed in both and argument and in a restaurant are established successfully, the authors and owners will experience great success and their information will definitely be well-received.

Any argument is strengthened with the addition of visuals. Whether it is a chart, a pie graph, map or a photograph that reinforces the argument, the power of an image is an uncontested fact. When I think of the influence that visuals can have on a person, I often compare it to the saying that actions speak louder than words. Growing up, my parents always told me to live by that philosophy and now as we study visuals in more depth, that saying applies here as well. Another interesting idea discussed in Everything is an Argument is the concept that visuals are culturally biased and each persons sees the same images in very different ways depending on their values and their backgrounds. A perfect example of this concept is the Vogue magazine cover that we looked at in class. I was shocked to hear the racist comments made about this photo, I in no way would have thought along those lines. But that just confirms the validity of the statement that one single image can elicit contrasting messags.
In “A Cook’s Tour”, Anthony Bourdain travels around to various cities to experience their local cuisine in hopes of finding the perfect meal. Inititially, I expected this book to be a boring read about nothing more than descriptions of various types of food. But it didn’t take me long to realize that this book is filled with information not only about food, but about local cultures and their traditions. Bourdain travels around the world experiencing things such as the pig slaughter in Portugal, the bizarre and seemingly painful sauna treatment in Russia, and most memorably, an ever flowing bottle of some sort of national drink in nearly every city. Although these experiences at first glance seem to be extremely bizarre, Bourdain puts each unique experience in the context of the culture. This is an example of how the same image or concept can be interpreted very differently depending on the backgrounds of those viewing it. Reading this book almost makes me jealous that while all of these cultures who value their traditions and their food, Americans will do anything to get the quickest and easiest meal possible. We have no local cuisine, unless we can consider the Fast Food industry to be our national food. Unfortunately we have become so tied down by this fact that it is too late to do anything now. In this way, the images of local foods portray certain cultures in various ways.