Note from the evolving world of new journalism (file under food)

Formerly with the real PI, the two-woman force field in food writing, Rebekah Denn and Leslie Kelly, each have their own thriving blogs and related writing projects. That leaves the online PI with a citizen journalist restaurant critic, who in this context works for free.

In mainstream food criticism, if you to eat with a restaurant critic, you'll get a lecture ahead of time on what not to say and what you're responsible for ordering.

Critics want to sample the menu without being obvious. The main thing you can't say? That you're eating with a restaurant critic. The whole premise of a review falls apart if the restaurant knows a critic is on the premises. The critic will be favored (duh), which means the meals s/he writes about are not the meals served to just anybody. That's why critics wear big hat and sunglasses in photos, when photos exist at all. They pay cash or use credit cards in somebody else's name.

This just in from the citizen journalist who now functions  as the PI's restaurant critic. Click restaurants/dining under A&E, and you'll get him.

Two of my co-workers have basically moved into Volunteer Park Cafe (link added). They work out of the cafe many days out of the week. This adorable little cafe located in an otherwise residential portion of the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Seattle is quite homey, so it's no surprise they're making it their workday "home". In addition, as I joined them and another friend for lunch, after we ordered, one of the "regulars" informed the owner that I'd be writing about my meal.

In addition to all the food we ordered and paid for, a plate of free cookies and cake magically appeared towards the end of our meal. I make it a rule not to let restaurant owners know why I'm there and I pay for my food. I chastised the informer appropriately, but I did eat those cookies. My general philosophy is that I try to be as fair as possible. I don't ask for special treatment, and I don't expect any. That said, I do photograph my food and restaurant folk are not dopes.

His friends didn't get the shalt-not rap when it mattered, ahead of time, and he photographs his food. Yes indeed. Restaurant folks are not dopes.

Real restaurant critics have their own eccentricities. When he was at the PI, Tom Sietsema, now at the Washington Post, used to follow a few small, well-considered bites of any item by dousing the remainder with salt and pepper. It's how he ate out almost every night and kept his lovely figure. I believe restaurants in Seattle were on the look-out when waiters cleared plates for those encrusted with condiments. If it was the salad, they could come back big with the entrees and desserts.