YumSugar

Is It OK to Write a Yelp Review For a Restaurant Discount?

partysugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:15:05 -0700

Mel's Drive-In, a restaurant chain in California, made news this week when a PR firm uncovered the diner's "virtual bribe" - or a deal for Yelpers. Here's how it works: you write a Yelp review (it can be good or bad) of the eatery, bring in a copy, and receive a 20 percent discount on your bill. I've never been into Yelp, the website that lets everyone be a restaurant critic, so I won't be participating in Mel's discount any time soon. However, if it was a restaurant I frequented or was interested in checking out, I might be persuaded to give it some online publicity. How about you?

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All the News That's Fit to Eat - Nov. 5, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:30:39 -0800

During times of economic hardship, familiar American desserts can be a sweet comfort. - San Francisco Chronicle
What role do tannins play in wine? - Washington Post
Food review site Yelp has become an online force to be recognized. - New York Times
Cozy up to those many exotic varieties of Winter squash. - The Oregonian
For a speedy and inexpensive crowd-pleaser, make dinner Eggplant Parmesan pie. - Boston Globe
Select white wines to stand up to any chowder. - Chicago Tribune
A devastating blight wiped out American chestnuts, but now they're making a comeback. - Los Angeles Times
General Mills has issued a recall of Progresso Hearty Tomato Soup. - Food & Drug Administration

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Yummy Links: From Eating Games to Mangoes

YumSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:29:31 -0700

Be sure you check out the video trailer for Major League Eating: The Game. - Serious Eats
Learn how to make chocolate caramel matzo crunch in time for Passover. - The Kitchn
You probably don't want to know, but just in case, here are the most fattening foods of Spring. - FitSugar
What do you know, grapeseed oil is the new olive oil. - iVillage Supermarket Guru
Wonder how Yelp manages to maintain their warm fuzzy feeling? Maybe it's because they close rabble rousers' accounts. - Eater SF
Discover six reasons to love the mango. - Simply Stated

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Do You Use Online Restaurant Reviews?

YumSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:03:33 -0700

This weekend the San Francisco Chronicle ran a pretty interesting front page story about how food bloggers impact the restaurant industry. While mainstream critics generally wait 30 days before reviewing a new restaurant (so that the chef and staff can work out glitches), everyday people, who use sites like Yelp to voice their opinion, review places as soon as they can. So if your chicken was overdone and rubbery, the whole world is going to know. Some savvy restauranteurs use the customer feedback to their advantage (if patrons say portion sizes are too small, or service is too slow you can fix it), while others just end up struggling against the bad reviews. After all, who wants to go to the publicly-voted 1 star restaurant when the publicly-voted 4 star is right next door?

So what do you guys think about all of this. Do you think that online restaurant reviews are valid? And do you use them?