Ratings
Dinner Party of Eight's rating system uses 8 as a top grade, mostly because
there are eight of us. Each rater is entitled to his/her own system. The average
of all those attending is the number on the Review Page.
Typically, emphasis is on food, then service, then ambiance, and, for some,
value. Personal likes play a role, as will other quirks, idiosyncrasies, and
anomalies encountered that evening.
Any rating system appearing in other places (Times-Union, for example) is an
approximation of the group's average.
Review
Whether Deb K or Don writes the review, it is an attempt to catch the personal
and group attitudes, reactions, comments, and likewise. We claim no
professional expertise, and are learning and changing as we go. Even our review
styles change as we continue. We may even add a reviewer, if one is brave enough
to do so.
An ellipses (........) probably indicates a comment that was meaningful for DP8
but should not reflect on the establishment, and thus has been eliminated. For
the really curious, contact Don at dteator@gmail.com.
Restaurant Selection
Where to go?
Each couple, in rotating
order, chooses a place (keeping the rules in
mind). And, according to our tradition, after a brief pre-session at the selectors' residence, off we go, with the other three
couples not knowing where we are going. Trying to guess, or read minds, or trick
someone into telling us is one of our topics of discussion. Whose pick is
indicated on the chronology page.
Exceptions: A few times a
year, the group makes the
decision. This includes Christmas (traditionally, at the Karnes'); a close-to-home
winter pick; and a summertime date hosted by one of the couples.
Occasionally, the group
repeats a choice (George
Mann Tory, Bears, Fernwood the only repeats until July 2009; see below).
The other exceptions are
left to the whims of the group, sometimes influenced by curiosity, a last minute
emergency, or a yielding to some successful attention-getting ploy by an
establishment.
As noted above, in July
2009, our 80th dinner, DP8 decided to revisit, by vote, eight restaurants (nine, counting
MVB),.
Starting in August 2009, they were: name (# original visit, month to revisit)
American Hotel (19, Aug)
Christman’s (44, Sep)
Reginato Ristorante (6, Oct)
Mill Rock (1, Nov)
Karnes
Baba Louie’s (62, Jan)
Mountain View Brasserie (57 & 74, Feb)
Last Chance (35, Mar)
Stockade (55, Apr)
George Mann Tory Tavern (4 & 13, May)
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