Some of you have some questions about this blog, and my policies, so I thought I could clear them up for you. I may add more if the need arises.
Q- What happened to the Urbanspoon links?
A- I had a nice relationship with Urbanspoon and the links allowed me to give restaurant details easily. In return I gave them pictures and content. Urbanspoon was recently purchased by Zomato, an Indian company, and after perusing their site I was not happy with it. They don't seem to be a good fit for my style and we parted company. I still use them for research.
Q- Why did you change it so that I have to log in with an ID in order to comment?
A- While some comments are interesting, most of the comments I have been getting of late are people who want to spam me by adding a link on their comment to their useless web page. Others are anonymous ones which are usually negative, think comments made on Amazon reviews, and I'm not going to post them. I just had someone tell me to do something that was essentially anatomically impossible. This way it eliminates anonymous comments and I still screen comments. Sorry, it is my blog and I'll do whatever I want.
Q- But I disagree with what you said. I need a forum to express my hatred of you.
A- Start your own blog.
Q- Are you available to judge cooking contests and competitions?
A- Yes, if it fits my schedule. I'd love to be a judge on a Food Network show.
Q- Can I get you to join my network/page/site/cult/etc? I will give you a badge/hat for your page that directs traffic to me.
A- Um, probably not. I get at least one request per week and after reviewing their sites I see no advantage for me. All they want is for me to drive traffic to their page. Besides, we don't need no stinking badges. If you e-mail me I will most probably ignore you.
Q- Can you put a link to my product? I'll give you some crappy software for free.
A- No!
Q- Do you take advertising?
A- Not at this point. I tried Google ads and after two years I still didn't meet the threshold for payment. The only ads I currently have posted are for my own books. However, I am amenable to an advertiser or two if it is the right fit, say a winery, a brewery, or a restaurant supply company. I won't take ads from restaurants though as that would change the integrity of my reviews. If you are interested, e-mail me and we can discuss it.
Q- I want to advertise with you, what are your demographics?
A- About 55% of my readers are women between the ages of 25 and 50 from the Hudson Valley of New York, Wilmington, North Carolina, Eastern Pennsylvania, North Jersey, and Fairfield County Connecticut.
Q- Do you take food and chef pictures for restaurants?
A- Yes, e-mail me for info. I'd be happy to do some work if your location and time fits my schedule, location, and my mood. Rates vary with location, time, etc.
Q- Can I invite you to eat at my restaurant and write a review?
A- Yes, but that doesn't mean I'll be there. If the concept and location interest me, I may pop in.
Q- Can I invite you to my food festival/beer festival/wine festival/ cheese festival/etc? I'd love for you to cover it.
A- Yup. Send me a press pass and I will go if it fits my travel and time schedule. I'll write a nice piece on the blog and give advance notice for the following year. I will be doing tours of some local breweries, wineries, and distilleries over the summer and if you want to be included, drop me an e-mail.
Q- I don't like the review you wrote about my restaurant. Can you change it? Can you come back again?
A- If I didn't like it, I probably won't go back. Remember, I pay for my meals and I have so many places I want to eat at, so I'm not inclined to return to someplace that was really bad.
Q- How can I help you so that you keep writing this blog?
A- Click on one of the book links and buy a book or two.
