reading this now after linking in an offhand way from your 2024 recap-too funny because i bought delice de bourgogne at whole foods yesterday and i coulda made 2 dozen eggs for $15.; gavroche sounded tasty but not 15 an egg tasty. i guess dolinsky "pimps" to keep things cheap? i'm sorta ok with that (becuz it's expected) and i have ZERO against giordanos (except for the politics)
people really like to complain online! that link isn't even for the fest-- it's for his pizza tours. maybe link to his book on amazon and you can tell the people there how insulted you were by this festival. if you're so enraged, why not just ask for a refund?
I don't know how food critics have any following in this town...The best Chicago Pizza joints stayed away from that commercial mess....Giordanos, please that has to be in the same breathe as Tombstone pizza.
Thanks Jon. This is the irony. Steve is super charming. I like Steve. I like his coverage. I don't like his ethics. Also I didn't compare it to Fyre fest, I references that others did.
“Pimping Giordano’s” 😂 I just got back from a month in Chicago and their pizza was the worst I’ve had. A bland and soggy mix of cheese and frozen combination veggies stuffed between mushy layers of crust that, somehow, attracted hoards of people (tourists like me hovering River North) for a 45 minute wait for a completely disappointing pie. “Wouldn’t be caught dead” pimping it is right on 🎯
Nagrant, while I agree with some things in this article, this is an obvious hit job. Everyone in the serious restaurant industry already knows this man is a fraud. I wish you would start writing reviews not based on the owners and/or chefs previous places. You constantly are praising places based on the people and not the food. What kind of critic posts on their Instagram about an upcoming restaurant by a formerly notable chef that is a year away from opening? Will you fairly review that restaurant? Stop calling yourself a critic when you charge money to view your content. How about an article about a dishwasher in Chicago who helped put his kids through school thanks to the industry. You are an influencer, not a food critic.
I absolutely believe you can make money off your critiques. I don't think you should make money by trading coverage for money from those you cover. Then it's not a critique, it's an advertisement.
Sorry, my comment was directed at Beavis, and him questioning you charging for your blog...which is ridiculous. It's literally a reason why Patreon exists. So artists and writers can get paid for their craft...
1) My reviews include both people I've reviewed before and people I've never reviewed. I never reviewed anyone from Warlord for example or Ragadan or All Too Well or Flour Power and Omarcitos which were all reviewed recently
2) I do praise people on social media who have a positive track record (based on their previous food) and share news about them. However, I do not pre-emptively review them without knowing what they're doing now. And to give you an example I have always loved Jason Vincent's food at Nightwood and Lula and Giant, but I did not like his food at Chef's Special and I wrote about that. I have a track record of changeability based on the quality of food. My conclusion given your observation is that you obviously don't like Erling Wu Bower for some reason which is the only person I mentioned opening in the future in the last few weeks. That being said I also do food news and that's all this is, sharing food news.
3) I don't understand what charging money has anything to do with being a food critic. Traditional media has always charged for food criticism. By charging money, it supports me be ing able to review restaurants without relying on comps or free media dinners.
4) However if that makes me an influencer, I'm fine with that. There is nothing wrong with being an influencer if your coverage and policies are transparent, especially if those policies are no pay to play
5) I would love to tell the story about a dishwasher who put his kids through school. Give me the lead, I'll pursue it.
reading this now after linking in an offhand way from your 2024 recap-too funny because i bought delice de bourgogne at whole foods yesterday and i coulda made 2 dozen eggs for $15.; gavroche sounded tasty but not 15 an egg tasty. i guess dolinsky "pimps" to keep things cheap? i'm sorta ok with that (becuz it's expected) and i have ZERO against giordanos (except for the politics)
My inner Beavis wants to yell “Fyre! Fyre!”
This is the best comment
Wow. I had no idea, Michael. What a shame.
If you didn't enjoy the experience you can leave a review here for pizza city fest. We went sunday and didnt enjoy: https://www.tripadvisor.com/UserReviewEdit-g35805-d14132520-Pizza_City_USA-Chicago_Illinois.html
people really like to complain online! that link isn't even for the fest-- it's for his pizza tours. maybe link to his book on amazon and you can tell the people there how insulted you were by this festival. if you're so enraged, why not just ask for a refund?
Almost like the internet was created for this purpose.
I don't know how food critics have any following in this town...The best Chicago Pizza joints stayed away from that commercial mess....Giordanos, please that has to be in the same breathe as Tombstone pizza.
Imho, you lose all credibility in this piece with any reference to Fyre festival and Billy McFarland. That’s unfair.
If you just wrote a piece saying you just don’t like the guy, it would probably be more fitting. Not everyone likes each other and gets along.
Thanks Jon. This is the irony. Steve is super charming. I like Steve. I like his coverage. I don't like his ethics. Also I didn't compare it to Fyre fest, I references that others did.
Where I'm from, every kind of local food festival thing we have crashes and burns in a similar manner, without exception. Feels like an inevitability.
“Pimping Giordano’s” 😂 I just got back from a month in Chicago and their pizza was the worst I’ve had. A bland and soggy mix of cheese and frozen combination veggies stuffed between mushy layers of crust that, somehow, attracted hoards of people (tourists like me hovering River North) for a 45 minute wait for a completely disappointing pie. “Wouldn’t be caught dead” pimping it is right on 🎯
I saw Mr Original Fyre fest is out of jail and selling FF2..maybe they’ll team up!😂 TY!
Nagrant, while I agree with some things in this article, this is an obvious hit job. Everyone in the serious restaurant industry already knows this man is a fraud. I wish you would start writing reviews not based on the owners and/or chefs previous places. You constantly are praising places based on the people and not the food. What kind of critic posts on their Instagram about an upcoming restaurant by a formerly notable chef that is a year away from opening? Will you fairly review that restaurant? Stop calling yourself a critic when you charge money to view your content. How about an article about a dishwasher in Chicago who helped put his kids through school thanks to the industry. You are an influencer, not a food critic.
So critics can't make money off their critiques? I hope you don't think Siskel & Ebert were doing their show for free...
I absolutely believe you can make money off your critiques. I don't think you should make money by trading coverage for money from those you cover. Then it's not a critique, it's an advertisement.
Sorry, my comment was directed at Beavis, and him questioning you charging for your blog...which is ridiculous. It's literally a reason why Patreon exists. So artists and writers can get paid for their craft...
Ah, cool, got it.
“..this is an obvious hit job….”
Sometimes people need to be smacked with a “hit job.”
Appreciate the feedback Beavis.
1) My reviews include both people I've reviewed before and people I've never reviewed. I never reviewed anyone from Warlord for example or Ragadan or All Too Well or Flour Power and Omarcitos which were all reviewed recently
2) I do praise people on social media who have a positive track record (based on their previous food) and share news about them. However, I do not pre-emptively review them without knowing what they're doing now. And to give you an example I have always loved Jason Vincent's food at Nightwood and Lula and Giant, but I did not like his food at Chef's Special and I wrote about that. I have a track record of changeability based on the quality of food. My conclusion given your observation is that you obviously don't like Erling Wu Bower for some reason which is the only person I mentioned opening in the future in the last few weeks. That being said I also do food news and that's all this is, sharing food news.
3) I don't understand what charging money has anything to do with being a food critic. Traditional media has always charged for food criticism. By charging money, it supports me be ing able to review restaurants without relying on comps or free media dinners.
4) However if that makes me an influencer, I'm fine with that. There is nothing wrong with being an influencer if your coverage and policies are transparent, especially if those policies are no pay to play
5) I would love to tell the story about a dishwasher who put his kids through school. Give me the lead, I'll pursue it.