The new Chicago Zagat's. Is it good for anything?

As I mentioned here, the new Zagat's "2004/05 Chicago Restaurants" has arrived. I was a database contributor, as were, I suspect, others here... so I didn't pay for it.

Which is probably a good thing, because it remains a report of a kind of dining average.... although it's a convenient address list.


I've just started reading... but here are My Zagat Peeves so far:

It's obviously a New York-based book, because it gives the cross street for everything, which we Chicagoans know isn't needed. Still, it will help out a tourist or two who doesn't know that North Ave is 1600, Western is 2400, or that Sheraton Road intersects itself.

Tru is most popular in the Chicago list, but in the Milwaukee section in the back, it's Maggiano's. What a disappointment. Yes, Sanford is second, but P. F. Chang is third... and many, many places are missing. Are those chain places pulled up in popularity by comments about their other locations in Chicago? I wouldn't be surprised. The Milwaukee list reads rather like a list of Milwaukee restaurants that Chicagoans know about rather than a real native-driven list.

I think this problem shows up again when you look to see what two Milwaukee pizza places are included. The two listed under the "pizza" category are both Chicago-based chains, although surely some of the other Italian restaurants also offer pizza. Surely, there's some Milwaukee pizza that's good (although, come to think of it, I can't remember eating pizza in Milwaukee when I lived there).

Another Milwaukee-list peeve is that the editors don't know addresses, so Bjonda, for example, is indexed as being in Wauwatosa, but Rist. Bartolotta (which is actually in Wauwatosa, just down the street from Bjonda) seems to be in Milwaukee. It's such a short list, I guess it's not so important. But it shows lack of local knowledge which continues throughout.

Are there similar problems in the main listing? I assume so... it's just so easy to scan the Milwaukee section because it's so teeny.


Chicago Zagat thoughts:

Obviously, with Tru as most popular, it's a high-end crowd that are voting (although Maggiano's is still 11th). Which makes the new "Best Buy's" list interesting. Number one on that list is Superdawg, so they're not totally full of it. They've also spotted Lutz's on that list... although of course it's heavy on sausages and breakfast.

I was quoted: "something wrong with the service". Nevermind where.

I wasn't quoted: "go now, it won't last". Nevermind where, unless you're buying.

They didn't take a number of my suggestions for additions to their list (or looking back, most of Leah's longer list): Nam Viet, for an example.

I think they're quoting Leah about Al's Italian Beef, which they've added... it wasn't there last time. I'll let her comment on the rest of her extensive "not on the Zagat survey" list, which appeared in her column just as the voting was ending.

It's interesting to note which restaurants were added by the local editors. These are mostly new restaurants, although a few are old standards that they somehow missed (like Al's Italian Beef). You can spot them by the lack of rating in their listing.



Other thoughts? Surely you've been reading your copy to see if they quoted you!

Actually, I contributed and have a copy again this year, and probably, like last year, will never open it.

What's the point? It is another one of those situations, sort of akin to driving past an automobile accident where I do not slow down to look - I know what is there and that I will not find it adds anything positive to my life, so why waste the time?

You might ask why I contribute. If you did, I would say for the same reason I vote - I do not expect anything back, but know there is a very small chance my participation will improve things. Given the effort involved, it is worth it.

Plus I get to savage some sacred cows in a totally irresponsible but enjoyable way. Good Lord, did Maggiano's really rank so high? That place is not even the 11th best Italian restaurant in a dozen or more Chicago neighborhoods. Now I am upset, but I guess it could have been the Olive Garden. Sigh.