Dealing with bad reviews

[Greg]

Currently, I'm the sous at a new (3 months in business), fairly upscale German restaurant. We had a review last week in a local weekly, and were severely bashed. The critic specifically singled out a period when the exec was in Germany and I was doing his job along with mine. Specifically, she said "what do you make of a restaurant whose food is mediocre when the chef is there, and awful when he's not". Regardless of the mistakes she made (the use of molasses in one of our desserts was referred to as the "nuance of pumpernickel" and our sour cream free cold potato salad was referred to as "sour cream dressed"), I can't seem to get this one out of my head. I've never had a bad review on my food before (the same critic has given glowing praise to my cooking at different restaurants); how does everybody else deal with this (non-violently, that is)?

[This message has been edited by Greg (edited June 08, 2000).]

[Jim]

Greg,
I don't think you deal with it at all. I don't want this to sound like psycho-babble, but you know what quality you have produced. If your food is good, you know you have done well. If your food is off, than you know that you haven't done what is expected. I don't think anybody, in any profession, needs to be told that they are doing well (or not). As a professional, you should know before anybody tells you. Sure, it is nice to see a glowing review and hear compliments, but they don't necessarily mean much. Let's face it, how many times have you thrown something together, it wasn't very good, but you still heard how wonderful it was? The same can go the other way.
The only implication with somebody that is not "in the know" sharing their thoughts with the world, via a newspaper review, is that many readers may take that review at face value. Again, not to keep using comparisons, but how how many times have you read or heard a bad movie review and then liked the movie?
I am sure I would be upset with a nasty review, but you know... "True character is revealed when you come face to face with adversity." Take this adversity and use it as a strengthening tool.
You could probably call or write the reviewer to contest some of their comments or even offer to cook another meal, but the article has been written. Again, embrace the criticism as mechanism for making yourself an even better cook. All the best!

Hi Greg, sorry that this happened to you, I think it has happened to all of us at one time or another. First let me say that I agree with everything that Jim has said. Also, let me ask you, do you think Michael Jordan (the greatest athelete of our time) never had a bad night? He did, and he had lots of them, and the critics jumped on him everytime. It is the nature of the beast, and one of the reasons I am thankful that I am a chef and not a critic. The most important thing is that you gave a 110% effort in your food. Most critics have never been on a line and had a chance to see the tremendous amount of orchestration that goes on to produce excellent food. It is not easy and I think that if they spent one week trying to get other people to execute their ideas in plated food in a fast paced environment, they would find just how tough it is and they would lighten up.

Don't let it get you down man, you will come back to receive many more great reviews. Don't let one bad review from one jerk critic get you down.

All the best,

Joe