Joanne is coming! (Meatball Mondae, part 5)

Everyone is a critic.

One of my dearest friends is Joanne Kates, the restaurant critic for The Globe and Mail, the most important newspaper in Toronto. Joanne carries a credit card with someone else's name on it (I promised I wouldn't say who). Despite her precautions, her picture is posted in the kitchen of dozens of top restaurants. Why? Because once a restaurant knows that Joanne is wearing a wig and sitting in the dining room, the staff can influence the review.

Once a server knows it's her, he can make sure the service is perfect, the food is hot, and the check is calculated properly. Once he knows it's her, he can guarantee that the staff will do their best.

You've already guessed the problem with this strategy. The problem is Zagats (and Chowhound.com, and a thousand other restaurant blogs). There isn't just one Joanne Kates in Toronto anymore. Now there are thousands.

You can no longer be on the lookout for Joanne. Now you have to be on the lookout for everyone.

[Look for the rest of the series here. Notable trackback from last week here.]