First off: It’s not me.Really. Though I edit the 225 Taste section each month and I often show up at restaurants with photographer Collin Richie to shoot the dishes we review for the magazine, I’m not the one penning those critiques.
And it’s not 225’s longtime food writer Maggie Heyn Richardson, either.
In fact, I can confidently say you haven’t seen our restaurant reviewer’s real name on a byline in this magazine. Though, as the text under D.J. Beauticia’s byline each month declares, this is someone who knows the local food scene inside and out.
Our critic has also reviewed more than 100 restaurants in the Capital Region within these pages since May 2012. (And to the joy of this editor, has also never missed a deadline.)
To decide which restaurants to review, we talk regularly about new openings and older ones that might need a revisit because of a new chef or revamped menu. We refer to a master list of every review that’s appeared in the magazine to make sure we aren’t repeating ourselves or circling the same neighborhood too frequently. We try to give brand-new restaurants a grace period to work out the kinks.
Most importantly, we don’t announce our visit to the restaurants. They, like you, have no idea who the secret critic is, and thus, they won’t be driven to offer special attention, fuss over the plating or have a table ready immediately.
That way, our critic can assess the dining experience the same way any diner would.
Once the review is submitted, we contact the restaurant and request to photograph whatever has been sampled.
We’re sometimes asked why we don’t run negative reviews. We’re not out to burn anyone. When our reviewer has a horrible experience, we don’t run the story. (Though I can count on one hand the number of times that’s happened.) We’ll be honest and critical, but never with an aim to ruin a local business. Plus, what use is a bunch of gorgeous food photos if we’re telling you it’s disgusting?
Prior to D.J. Beauticia’s reign, the restaurant review process was a little more complicated. We began with more general coverage of the restaurant industry in 2005, and shifted to include critical reviews in 2008. From then to early 2012, a rotating team of three unnamed reviewers visited the same restaurant and filed separate takes on the meal. They each gave their recommendations, dishes to avoid and an overall rating.
It became difficult over time to get all three reviewers to the same spot and deliver their reviews by deadline each month, so 225 opted for D.J. Beauticia’s single, expert opinion in 2012.
And considering how popular our food coverage has become—we now have two weekly 225 Dine newsletters in addition to the Taste section every month—I think it’s safe to say the community has discovered the delicious options the city has to offer and continues to celebrate it every day.
Let’s keep digging in!
This story originally appeared in the November 2020 edition of 225.
