What’s the deal with these reviews?
Why do you have restaurant reviews on your website?
We like to eat out. We like to eat in. We like to eat!
Shortly after we began dating, we noticed that our dinner conversation almost always touched briefly on the next dinner we wanted to have together. We always were excited to try a new place or to cook something new with whatever spontaneously jumped into our basket at Atlas. Eating together with loved ones can and should be a highlight of life.
Since there was always talk at our house about that next dinner, and where it would be, we started making lists. The lists grew longer and longer—so many restaurants, and only so many meals in a week. Eventually, the nerd put the lists on the computer so they could be categorized and organized by location and annotated with our thoughts on each experience. Then the whole thing found itself on the website.
So it happened somewhat by accident that we share our thoughts about some local restaurants here on our website. We like to share. We like to share dinner, events, and experiences. We hope you find something useful here that helps you enjoy your Indianapolis adventure.
What do your ratings mean?
We take a holistic approach to our ratings, rather than some inflexible formula of service/atmosphere/quality/value. We take into account our entire experience, including these aspects. However, and more importantly, we align that experience with our expectations. The finest ingredients, preparations, and creativity emerging from the kitchen can be spoiled by too much fussy frippery and ego, while warm, gracious service is not enough to make up for disappointing food. Frankly, a restaurant’s pumped-up reputation sometimes magnifies a crummy experience.
Diners are often out for a special occasion (even, yay, I made it through Tuesday!) at a restaurant and hope it will be treated as such. Not everyone can afford to make four-star dining a regular habit, so when the opportunity arises, “normal” people should feel welcomed and appreciated.
On the other hand, sometimes you just want a kick-ass hamburger, and a $5 basket could not be more satisfying—the sloppier, the better. Some of the least expensive restaurants get top ratings in our book.
Quite frankly, our ratings are subjective. No apologies here.
Waiting tables is a difficult, often thankless job. So is teaching, for that matter. For better or worse, however, this person is a diner’s interface with the rest of the establishment. Any systems engineer will attest that interfaces are the key that ensures the viability of that system, and a restaurant is no different. A restaurant’s staff is most important in setting the tone of the diner’s experience, and has the opportunity to make the restaurant really stand out. They often do. As in any dealings with others, mutual respect goes a long way, and that is how we always try to approach these fleeting relationships. That doesn’t mean rigid solemnity, but it does mean friendliness and a smile. —>
Why did you give my restaurant a crummy review instead of giving me the chance to improve your experience? Come back again, and you’ll see that we’ve made changes.
While we truly appreciate your attention and willingness to “make good,” we write about our experiences. We feel that it is fair to share our experiences because we strive to explain and justify them. They are what they are. Such attitude and motivation in a manager or owner is key to success. It would be crazy to think that we have ill will toward any restaurant—we love to eat out.
What’s your favorite restaurant?
What are you in the mood for? We’ve tried to make clear that it depends on your mood and expectations! Although, we do not hide our preference for locally-owned establishments with comfortable atmospheres and variety in their quality offerings. Check the ratings if you were hoping we would name names.
Two suggestions: try finding your own favorite new restaurant, or make more frequent visits to a restaurant you know you enjoy. Build loyalty with the staff. Be the couple to whom they’ll give the good table on a crowded evening.
How long have you been doing this?
Not that long, a few years. We’re not native to Indianapolis, but this is our home now. We have observed that tastes in this town are refining and broadening. That can only be a good thing.
Do you contribute to any regular publications?
While we’re not opposed to the idea, we currently do not. We’re basically amateur foodies who aspire to broaden our horizons.
What are your favorite recipes?
Eggplant parmesan. I don’t know—depends on that day it is.
What are your favorite things to order?
Dessert, duh. Wine might be next. Oh, a favorite entre? Can’t help you there.
What software powers this website?
Just some stuff we slapped together during a freezing weekend in the winter of 2002. You can’t have it—not that we don’t want you to. Open standards and free software and all that, rah rah. Instead, it’s too much trouble to extract it from the rest of the website, and there’s housework to do instead. There’s a very good chance that you could do better if you cared to, anyway.
©2001—2007, Emily and Christopher Hansen.