gleam wrote:This is what Gary wrote the day after:

G Wiv wrote:*"I'm from Phoenix and know my ribs" might be the funniest thing I've heard in months

A very valuable opinion for someone from Phoenix who demands his/her ribs the way they make them in Phoenix and should therefore avoid Honey 1 or risk extreme disappointment.

Mike G wrote

I will now resolve all the questions in this thread in 60 seconds.
If you ate there, you're qualified. If you didn't, you're not. Case closed

Mike, I just read something that echoes your sentiment. The following quote is from Knives at Dawn America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Legendary Bocuse d'Or Competition, by Andrew Friedman:
Chefs and their colleagues spend every moment of their working lives swinging from one precarious task to the next...And yet, to those who keep chefs in business, none of that matters. From neighborhood eateries to Michelin-ordained destinations, the moment of truth is brutally simple: the final product is presented, a few ounces framed within the confines of a plate or bowl. Fork or spoon is lifted. Food meets palate. Judgment is rendered.

(As far as the book, it's interesting, but I didn't love it, so I'm not writing it up for the Great Books thread. Still, worth a look for pictures and to learn something about this competition. I did enjoy the Three Months in Yountville chapter.)

jimswside wrote:As for who is and isnt qualified, I wont debate that. Like most things in life, if you put yourself out there you need to take the good with the bad, and have thick skin, and not be hyper-sensitive. Kind of bad form in my opinion to come on here and lament over a bad review & presume to decide who can and cant have an opinion on a restaurant.

Good luck to you, I doubt I would have ever made it up to your restaurant before, and almost 100% certain i wont be going now.

Ditto a thousand times, well put.