America dines out with the Zagats
More ethnic choices and more-savvy diners have spawned an American culinary revolution.
from the May 2, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Diners' demands grow
The typically more-savvy diner has also become a bit more demanding. This is perhaps a result of the recent diet craze, when the Atkins, South Beach, and other fad diets banned certain foods. While those diets are a lot less talked about these days, the lasting result has left diners feeling more empowered to ask for what they think is good for them, says Tim.
Diners are also increasingly seeking out restaurants that offer simple cooking with farm-fresh ingredients, which often jibes with what many of today's chefs are delivering. "The best chefs," says Tim, "are focusing more on cooking with organic ingredients from local farmers, who are growing specifically for them." It's not uncommon today for a restaurant to credit a nearby farm on its menu for the baby carrots or fingerling potatoes.
Today's more discerning diners are likely to welcome the Zagat redesign, as they can more easily flip through its pages in search of a particular type of restaurant. The newly revised format also features pullout maps with markings for restaurants and handy stickers ("Must Try," "My Favorite," "Love it," and several blanks for perhaps less superlative write-in comments), as well as jump-off-the-page red type for restaurant names with the type of cuisine beside them, in case there's any question.
It's a format that Tim Zagat didn't instantly warm up to. "The vote for the redesign was 109 to 1," he says, smiling. "But I came around, and now I think it's a much cleaner, fresher look."
But even more than the look, the Zagats seem thrilled about their roles in chronicling a culinary revolution that is producing more interesting choices and better quality in restaurants than ever before. And they savor opportunities that come along to help support a suffering economy, such as that of post-Katrina New Orleans, a city long celebrated for its legendary Cajun and Creole cuisine. The Zagats offered their latest New Orleans guide at a discount, which led a local company to make 25,000 copies available free of charge in an effort to boost tourism.
Back in 1979, the Zagats had no idea their little brainstorm for fellow foodies would someday be so influential. For Tim and Nina, their work seems to be about much more than enjoying meals at excellent restaurants, satisfying as that may be, especially on a rainy spring day in Boston.
How you can become a Zagat guide reviewer
The method of ranking and reviewing restaurants for the Zagat guides might seem almost too democratic to be true. Regular folks like you and me can simply log onto zagat.com and say whatever we think about a particular restaurant? Well, yes, says Tiffany Barbalato, Zagat's manager of corporate communications. But within reason, and someone trying to cheat the system – for instance, submitting 15 glowing reviews for the same American steakhouse under different names – won't get away with it.
Ms. Barbalato explains that the Zagat staff includes a team of 12 survey-research professionals who closely monitor ratings and reviews from the more than 250,000 surveyors. "We have invested time and money into various computer filters that help us find suspicious patterns of voting," says Barbalato, adding that some results are so obvious they quickly raise a red flag. For instance, "If 2,500 people are saying a restaurant is a charming new American place with soft, romantic lighting and 17 votes say only terrible things, we're going to know someone is stuffing the ballot with those 17 votes."
Catching meddlers is critical to the Zagat operation, says Barbalato. "The basis of the Zagat survey," she explains, "is that we are a trusted, reliable source for consumers, so we insist on upholding our integrity."
But the best way to trust us, she adds, is to "judge for yourself. " Turn to the review of a restaurant you know backward and forward. "Ask yourself if the words ring true, if they match up with what you think. Most of the time, you'll find they're right on," she says confidently.
Voting for the Zagat guides typically takes place during a six-to-eight-week period, during which consumers are invited to log onto zagat.com and share their opinions about the restaurants they know best. Consumers might find out about this opportunity in the food section of their local paper, on the radio, or on TV. Along with honesty and candor, humor is encouraged, and because of this, reviews are often quite entertaining.
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