Food with style Associated Press expands food section with more than three dozen new entries BY H OWA R D S PA N O G L E A N D B R A D L E Y W I L S O N , M J E
All writers, whether describing an experience informally or presenting new restaurants to readers, discover writing about cuisine is a challenge. Brand names invade with their distinctive spellings. French and Latin American creations stamp their special spelling on tasty ingredients and cooking techniques. How can a writer communicate correctly in a world so awhirl with images, smells, flavors and embellishments? As surprising as it is for teenage writers, eager to be stylish but often trapped by the “how-to-spell?” question, the Associated Press Stylebook has answers to open opportunities that enable all journalists to write about food with finesse and with confidence. Gone are limitations when young writers interact with a new friend: Food Guidelines, which has been expanded in the 2014 edition of the Associated Press Stylebook to include 509 terms about food. Writers can confidently talk about cuisine choices, dining places and how-to-cook experiments. They also can expand their vocabulary as they connect readers to a world of flair, color and distinctive tastes.
BUFFALO WING — A chicken wing generally deep-fried, unbreaded and coated in butter and in vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce. Origin: One of the more prevalent claims is that Buffalo wings were first prepared at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y., by Teressa Bellissimo, who owned the bar along with her husband Frank. Another claim is that a man named John Young served chicken wings in a special “mambo sauce” at his Buffalo restaurant in the mid-1960s. WINTER 2014
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Read as much excellent food writing as you can find. Great food writing is great writing. Simple as that. | JEANNETTE FERRARY, FOOD WRITER, THE NEW YORK TIMES
FOOD STYLEBOOK
W
Guidelines help refine literary palette
hen it came out in 2011, the section of the Associated Press Stylebook devoted to food consolidated more than 400 food names and terms, including 140 new entries. And the section has not stopped growing. “With all the cooking shows, blogs and magazines focusing on food, as well as growing interest in organic and locally sourced foods, our new food section feels timely and on trend,” said Colleen Newvine, product manager of the AP Stylebook in a 2011 article by Jim Romenesko. All those style guidelines help food critics refine their literary palette as they try to convey the details of a dish, a meal or a dining experience. Advisers may surprise staffs when they reveal that food writing is well ingrained in the history of American fame and American writing. Novelist/humorist Mark Twain illustrated the how-to when writing about something as simple as eating an apple. “I know the look of an apple that is roasting and sizzling on a hearth on a winter’s evening, and I know the comfort that comes of eating it hot, along with some sugar and a drench of cream. I know the delicate art and mystery of so cracking hickory-nuts and walnuts on a flatiron with a hammer that the kernels will be delivered whole, and I know how the nuts, taken in conjunction with winter apples, cider and doughnuts, make old people’s tales and old jokes sound fresh and crisp and enchanting.” The lessons are clear: The detail. The color. The life. The vibrancy. And full of energy. “Writing is the fastest way to improve your thinking,” said Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Chef. “Just a week or two of writing for friends can work wonders and produce breakthroughs.” However, writing a food review is more than simply jotting down random thoughts. A food review is a critical record of the detail of the meal and the dining experience. A good food review both informs and entertains.
STRATEGY: BEFORE WRITERS HEAD OUT TO THE RESTAURANT, FOOD TRUCK OR MARKET, THEY MUST PREPARE THEMSELVES. • How will you take notes during the dining experience? • Will you take photos of the dishes to accompany your review? • What do Yelp or Urbanspoon reviews say? • While trying to maintain anonymity, a reporter anticipates the possibility of this question: “Are you writing a review?” How should a reporter respond to that question? How could such a direct encounter affect a decision about publishing a review? WRITERS MUST REMIND THEMSELVES OF ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT THE RESTAURANT. • What is the ambience of the restaurant? Enjoyable. Loud. Crowded. Local. Foreign. Colorful. Light. • What about the staff? Outgoing. Friendly. Energetic. Lethargic. Customeroriented. Knowledgeable. • What about the locale? Neighborhood. Easy to find. Accessible. • What about your seat? Table setting. Clean. Smoke-free. ADVISERS MUST TEACH REPORTERS TO BROADEN THEIR DINING EXPERIENCES. • How was the presentation? Contemporary. Clean. Messy. Inviting. Cluttered. • Were the utensils and plates appropriate? Complete. Attractive. Battered. Replaced in a timely manner. • Was the level of cooking appropriate? Undercooked. Burnt. Deep fried. Raw. Al dente. Juicy. Dry. • Was the temperature correct? Warm. Tepid. Sizzling. Chilled. Icy. • How was it priced? Overpriced. Appropriate. Uneven. With variations. • What about the taste, smell, texture? Spicy. Bitter. Creamy. Tangy. Mild. Sour. Acrid. Fragrant. Rotten. Salty. Smoky. Stale. Sweet. Smooth. Dry. Fluffy. Lumpy. Stiff. Coarse. ADVISERS WANT WRITERS TO KEEP EVALUATING THE STAFF … • Was the staff knowledgeable? About the menu. About possible parings. Ingredients. Where the ingredients came from. Organic. Vegan. Gluten free. … AND WHEN DINERS ARE DONE. • Do they clear the table quickly? • Do they deliver an accurate bill in a timely fashion? • … plus: do they thank you?
TIPS FROM DAVID FARKAS — Tone it down. | Avoid superlatives (“best,” “awesome,” “incredible,” etc.). They don’t allow for the fine gradations that make reading a review worthwhile. | Avoid listing dishes. | Talk about the staff, the temperament of the place. | Eat on behalf of the customer. | Write confidently. | Turn a clever phrase. | Eat dessert. | Remain anonymous. Farkas has written hundreds of articles about food and restaurants for cleveland.com, the Plain Dealer and other publications. For the entire article, visit http://www.cleveland.com/dining/index.ssf/2014/02/how_to_write_like_a_restaurant.htm
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SAMPLES OF FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
BARBECUE by Paul Sedillo, Houston Chronicle | BURGER by Juanito M. Garza, San Antonio Express-News | POTATO ROLL by Marge Perry, Newsday | STRAWBERRY FROSTED CUPCAKES by Marge Perry, Newsday
Writing on food: So much more than a 500-word review by one person Restaurant reviews have been a staple of newspaper content for years. However, there is so much more to writing about food than writing a review of one meal eaten on one day by one person who only has limited expertise in dining or writing reviews. Stories about food can certainly include restaurant reviews that convey the tastes, textures, smells, presentation and enjoyability of food. They need to be well written and full of specifics. However, food-related stories can also be full-length feature stories, generalized news stories or spot news. Food coverage may give insight into the restaurants in a specific area of town as well as the people who work there and the location. In addition, reporters should be investigating how schools deal with food issues: sources of food, use of local food, cooking styles, healthful choices, healthful appeal, taste appeal, effect on health conditions, beverage choices and athletic-training needs as well as changing district and state/national standards. Changing priorities open the door for teenage journalists to unlimited food investigations. REVIEW
OUR FOOD WRITER CONQUERS ARBY’S MEAT MOUNTAIN Laura Reiley, Tampa Bay Times
You know the saying about why Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest? “Because it was there.” It’s apropos. This summer Arby’s hung posters showing a preposterous stack of different meats on a bun, largely to combat its reputation as a roast beef-only kind of place. But the story goes that people kept asking, “Um, can I have the sandwich on that poster?” And this week the answer is yes. So Friday I went to scale Arby’s Meat Mountain on Hillsborough Avenue. As with all “secret menu” fast-food items (see: Burger King’s Suicide Burger or the Land, Sea and Air Burger at McDonald’s), counter staff are a little twitchy when someone orders the specialty. Young staff often enlist the help of an assistant manager to find the right button on the register. In this case, the manager pressed a single button that I’m guessing said “Meat Mountain.” The screen lit up with the ingredients: pepper bacon, WINTER 2014
roast beef, natural cheddar slice, angus beef, brisket, corned beef, big eye Swiss, roast ham, roast turkey, chicken tenders. Subtotal $10. With tax $10.70. READ THE REST AT http://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/food/dining/ourfood-writer-conquers-arbys-meat-mountain-is-it-any-good/2195327
BEST NON-NEWSPAPER FOOD FEATURE
EVERYWHERE AT ONCE: CHEF GEOFF TRACY’S DATA-DRIVEN EMPIRE Todd Kliman, Washingtonian
There’s nothing in the room or on the plate at any of his four places in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia to make you stop and take notice. No nods to prevailing fashion, no gestures toward the latest trends and concepts. And that’s precisely as Tracy has scripted it. At a time when the restaurant scene has exploded but a great meal out is an uncertain bet, his places trade on the comfort of the familiar and simple thing done well. You’re unlikely to remember your meal two weeks later. Heck, you might not even remember it two hours later. None of which is put forth as criticism.
Founded in 1974, the ASSOCIATION OF FOOD JOURNALISTS is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating responsible food journalism across media platforms. AFJ’s code of ethics is a standard for the profession. http://afjonline.com/
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UPDATES REFLECT COVERAGE TRENDS
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Tracy credits his brother, Chris, with bringing new order to company operations. Tracy himself would be the first to point out that his restaurants are successful not because he’s a creative mastermind. His mission statement is writ large on his awnings and menus: “Great food, libation, merriment.” The phrase dates to 2000, the year he opened the first of three Chef Geoff’s. The message: No aspect of the dining experience should stand above the others; all three are equal. It’s a far more populist sensibility than you might expect from a restaurant with the word “chef” in the title. That’s Tracy. READ THE REST AT http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/food-dining/everywhere-at-once-chef-geoff-tracys-data-driven-empire/
BEST NEWSPAPER FOOD FEATURE
ACTS OF WILL
By Drew Lazor, Philadelphia City Paper “Good hands.” It’s one of those broad bits of flattery you hear bandied about all sorts of professions. A wide receiver who cushions a rocket-launched football with his gloves has good hands. So does a scalpelwielding surgeon who suppresses his tremors. Or a pianist whose fingers breeze across black and white keys like the jet stream. Good hands are invaluable in a restaurant, too. Christopher Kearse has them, and they float around the tiny kitchen of Pumpkin with such ease that they may as well be disembodied. Sprinkling an exacting amount of sea salt onto a cube of seared steak, wielding tweezers to locate the precise resting place for a laser-sliced candy-cane beet, spooning out a jellybean of silky sauce soubise, wiping an imperceptible smudge off a plate with a sponge scissored into the size of a matchbook. Once his good hands pass a plate off to a server, they’re right back at it, rifling through a low boy full of meticulously labeled quart containers for his next dish. READ THE REST AT http://www.citypaper.net/article.php?Acts-of-Will-13114
BEST STUDENT WRITING ON FOOD
OLD NORDIC
Shelby Vittek, Drexel University I looked down at the array of dishes on my “Swedish Sampler” during this year’s St. Lucia Festival at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia. As I did, I thought of how little the food in front of me resembled the art-on-a-platter photos of trendy New Nordic cuisine I’ve seen everywhere in food magazines lately. Carefully placed elaborate foams and meticulously designed dustings of local dirt didn’t adorn the food. And there weren’t foraged mushrooms, bunches of fresh moss, or just-caught seafood anywhere to be found on the plate. No, there was nothing “new” about my festive dinner. But it looked exactly like what most people think about when they think of Scandinavian food — a homey hodgepodge of old Nordic cuisine. READ THE REST AT http://tablematters.com/2012/12/12/old-nordic/
The Associated Press Stylebook is the de facto standard for consistency in modern news media, whether print, online or broadcast. First published in 1953, the stylebook, then a 60-page booklet, is not stagnant. Like language, it is constantly evolving and is now about 500 pages — and available online. The food guidelines alone represent 509 entries, expanded in 2014 with more than three-dozen new entries, everything from aioli to zest. n aioli A garlic mayonnaise, an emulsification of olive oil, egg yolks and lemon juice. amaretti An Italian macaroon made with almonds rather than coconut. applesauce bechamel French milk-based savory
sauce. beef stroganoff Buffalo wings Also Buffalo sauce. cactus pear A pear-shaped fruit of a
cactus, also prickly pear. chiffonade To slice vegetables very thinly. Chobani (choh-BAH’-nee) American Greek yogurt ciabatta A long, wide loaf of Italian bread. cracklings The crisped skin from cooked pork. demi-glace A rich, beef stock-based sauce seasoned with Madeira or sherry. foodways Refers to a set of food traditions. grapeseed oil icebox pie Pie with a filling that is chilled or frozen, rather than baked. kamut Considered an “ancient grain,” kamut is an older, highprotein variety of wheat. kitchen parchment Preferred term for parchment paper or baking paper. leavener An ingredient, such as baking powder, that causes baked goods to rise or have a lighter texture.
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Limburger cheese macaron A French, often brightly colored sandwich cookie made from egg whites, sugar and almond powder, typically filled with jam or ganache. macaroon A soft, chewy cookie typically made from coconut, egg whites and sugar, often confused with the macaron. Mornay sauce A bechamel to which cheese has been added. MSG Acceptable on first reference for monosodium glutamate. napa cabbage passion fruit peperonata An Italian blend of
sweet peppers and vegetables. pimento A tree and berry. pimiento A sweet, mild pepper. Sriracha (sree-YAH’-chah) Hot sauce sugarplums taproom vegan A person who abstains from eating animal products, such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Some also avoid honey. vegetarian Generally understood as a person who abstains from eating meat, but does eat dairy. There are many variations of vegetarian, including some who eat seafood or poultry. Wonder bread
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Food review rubric OBJECTIVE
ACCOMPLISHED 10-11 points
SKILLED
DEVELOPING
8-9 points
6-7 points
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT ≤5 points
Distinctive and appropriate lead
Lead introduces original food angle that fits with the eatery/ eateries; critiques kind, appeal and/or quality of food in engaging style.
Lead is appropriate for subject and fairly effective at getting attention; shows hints of focus and originality.
Lead is informative but not extremely catchy or original; may use generic formula approach that mainly tells facts.
Lead relies on routine summary, lacks original or catchy slant, fails to capture essence of food experience.
Sensory language about food
Reporter colorfully describes the food, including smell, taste, texture, style. Specific details support opinions.
Pertinent information included, but inconsistencies weaken total presentation. Needs to adequately show the food for a person who has not been there. Opinion support is inconsistent.
Food descriptions lack details and complexity; may promote inaccurate info or be missing key experiences; uses mainly generalities rather than specific smells, sights and cooking process/ingredients.
Reporter clearly did not pay attention to subtleties of taste, smells and textures. Opinion lacks details and background preparation.
Descriptive language about dining experience
Description makes the dining come alive by highlighting presentation (smells, tastes, sight), ambience and service. Reflective specifics make the account believable.
Specific information included, but lacks details about the location and service. Inadequate support weakens review opinion.
Minimal info about the locale or service; generalities but missing precise food terminology; more of a course-by-course record at the eatery than a critique thoughtfully documented.
Reporter clearly did not experience enough of the food or the restaurant to write a review. Opinion is unconvincing because reporting lacks details.
Unity and clear focus
Angle is appropriate for food emphasis, developed with a consistent focus; selects timely focus evaluating the food quality and enjoyment; details build throughout the story.
Focus is fairly clear, but digressions detract from the primary angle. Helpful transitions, but a few need more careful editing.
Story lacks strong sense of unity and focus; sometimes praise and sometimes criticism — results in an uneven approach.
Story is rambling and awkward, seems mainly to be a chronological record of the dining experience rather than a critique.
Effective organization and fluency
Story is organized with clear transitions and logical connections that create a sense of being tightly woven together; uses strong transitions that help story flow and that add evaluations about information.
Story is organized. Most transitions/connections are clear, but either organization is somewhat confusing or sense of flow is somewhat abrupt. Sometimes the metaphors or food slant changes.
Story lacks organization, jumps around too much or lacks effective transitions; not in logical order to present a helpful insight.
Story is choppy; organization is unclear; ineffective or nonexistent transitions.
Interesting and effective writing style
Verbs and adjectives are so vivid and structure is so convincing that readers definitely understand what they like or dislike about that place. Writer expresses reactions in a compelling way that makes observations convincing.
Writing has moderate appeal, occasional descriptions make the place come alive but needs to maintain originality throughout; voice or wordiness detract, may need vivid word pictures or fewer superlatives.
Writing is rather bland; lacks clear voice or originality. Is wordy or redundant, may pad copy with jargon or superlatives such as “best” or “awesome.”
Writing records simplistic observations, lacks specifics about tastes and presentation. Use precise food terminology.
Journalistic style
Presents restaurant information in AP/local style (quotes, dates, stats, numbers, money, percents, time, commas, etc.).
Has few (one or two) errors in journalistic style; may present confusing food info caused by perplexing organization or mixture of facts and quotes.
Writing ignores importance of consistent journalistic style, may use non-journalistic paragraph structure. Relies on general statements.
Writing has many errors in journalistic style and/ or paragraph structure, overlooks correct AP spelling for food terms.
Grammar and spelling
Spells names, titles and words correctly; avoids grammatical errors, uses food terms purposefully.
Story spells all food terms and all names correctly, may contain a few grammatical errors.
Story is free from spelling errors, uses correct names and titles; contains several grammatical errors.
Names are misspelled; or story contains spelling errors and/or many grammatical errors.
Format
Formatting as required; saved in appropriate location in appropriate file type.
Deadline
Met deadline (+5 pts)
COMMENTS ON BACK WINTER 2014
POINTS EARNED
Inappropriately formatted or saved inappropriately.
TOTAL POINTS
/100
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NAME___________________________
STYLEBOOK UPDATES PART 1: DIRECTIONS The Associated Press Stylebook frequently issues updates as the language changes. Journalists can test their up-todate awareness of Associated Press style by taking a usage quiz. The goal is accuracy. For quizzes, accuracy equates to a 100 percent score. Conscientious editors will want their entire staff to achieve that score. In the spaces for each sentence, write the letter for the best word choice for the sentence. Presume the choice changes to plural forms when necessary for the sentence. TERMS A. aioli B. bechamel C. ciabatta D. leavener E. macaroon F. MSG G. vegan
DEFINITIONS 1. The oldest and original form of the ________ is similar to a crispy-crusted almond meringue cookie. 2. A ________ sauce is made from a roux using cream, Worcestershire sauce and mustard are added. 3. At Chipotle Mexican Grill locations throughout the nation, ________ are scoffing up orders of the chain’s new meatless delicacy: Sofritas. 4. The sandwiches include a steak sandwich on their house-baked ________ and a ham and Gruyere cheese croissant. 5. The part of the sea urchin we eat is the roe sack. It has a strong ocean flavor. It’s great served raw, but you can also use it in a vinaigrette or ________ to give it a nice, rich flavor.
PART 2: DIRECTIONS In each blank, write the letter of the appropriate matching term that describes that picture.
A
B
C
D
E
________
________
________
________
________
6. napa cabbage
7. passion fruit
8. kamut
9. cactus pear
10. demi-glace
ANSWERS to Stylebook Exercise PART 1: 1. E; 2. B; 3. G; 4. C; 5. A; PART 2: 6. C; 7. E; 8. D; 9. A; 10. B. 24 | COMMUNICATION: JOURNALISM EDUCATION TODAY | a publication of the Journalism Education Association
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Advice from the pros NANCY HEISER
GREG COX
MOLLY ABRAHAM
Be a good observer. Take in as many details as you can — about the setting, the ambience, the noise level, the silverware, what’s on the wall, who else is in the room — as well as the food. Try to describe the food in specific ways. “It was delicious” is not a good enough description. Look at other food writing and see what adjectives are used. Then consider whether they apply: crunchy, spicy, fiery hot, mild, salty, sweet, cloyingly sweet, etc. Service matters, too — it is part of the experience — so pay attention to that while you pretend you are not paying attention. Also try a lot of food. That way you will have a better idea. However, remember you only need a bite or two to tell whether it is good or not. You do not have to finish everything you order.
On improving your prospects: Don’t pass up a chance to write about food for publication even if in the beginning it is for free. Explore foods as widely as you can, by eating as well as by old-fashioned research in books, magazines (Saveur is a fountain of knowledge) and reputable online sources. On writing: Try not to let your personal tastes get in the way of a fair assessment of a restaurant. Be honest (which doesn’t mean that you have to show off your knowledge by being mean-spirited), and be entertaining. Nobody wants to read a catalog of “liked this, didn’t like that.”
I would tell your students this: Don’t try to be cute. Follow your instincts. Be honest but not cruel. And do not get caught up in what is trendy. Food reviews are like any other kind of writing. They should be clear, concise and in good English. Watch out for those misplaced apostrophes!
reviewed restaurants for the Maine Sunday Telegram from March 2011 to October 2013. http://nancyheiser.com/
is the restaurant critic for the Raleigh News & Observer, @ggcox, http://www.newsobserver.com/mouthful/
ROBIN BUCKSON / THE DETROIT NEWS
FRESH TAKE ON THE FAMILIAR AT DOWNTOWN LOUIE’S LOUNGE
NOT MUCH OF A SHOW AT THIS JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE
DINE OUT MAINE: SAVOR THE SPLENDID ASIAN COOKING AT LONG GRAIN
By Nancy Heiser, Portland Press Herald Many pan-Asian restaurants have mammoth menus with dishes that read a lot alike. You have your Kung Pao chicken, shrimp tempura, pad thai, moo shu pork. Preparation quality may vary, but it is a little like paint by numbers. You know the rough outline, and the ingredients are standard issue. It is simply a matter of how the cook applies the paint. Then there is Long Grain, which, by comparison, is original artwork. READ THE REST AT http://www.pressherald.com/2011/11/27/savor-thesplendid-asian-cooking-at-long-grain_2011-11-27/
is a food critic with the Detroit News. http://archive. detroitnews.com/section/ENT03
By Greg Cox, Raleigh News and Observer Don’t let the generic strip mall location fool you. On the inside, Ai Fuji is a sprawling space whose designers have pulled out all the stops to create a setting as grandiose as its majestic mountain of a namesake. … My first visit got off to an inauspicious start with a small iceberg salad that was so heavily doused with a mayonnaise-y ginger dressing that fully a quarter cup puddled in the bottom of the bowl — a flaw that has been repeated with disquieting precision on every subsequent visit. At least they are consistent. Unfortunately, consistency is not a hallmark of the sushi bar. On two separate occasions, much of what I ordered was marked by uneven knife-work and widely variable quality of fish. A yellowtail roll was so inexpertly assembled that the first piece fell apart when I touched it with chopsticks. READ THE REST AT http://www.newsobserver. com/2014/09/11/4138951/review-not-much-of-a-show-at-this. html#storylink=cpy
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By Molly Abraham, Detroit News The kitchen does not try to be trendy — about as trendy as it gets is the arugula on the house burger and the quinoa served with the salmon. Instead, it concentrates on doing a good job with familiar dishes from fresh ingredients, starting with appetizers of meaty chicken wings with a choice of subtly applied sauces (try the jalapeno barbecue) and the steak bites, made with tenderloin tips with zip sauce. Both dishes are sharable, as are other dishes given the generous portions. Salads include not only the usual suspects (Caesar, Greek) but also an Albanian salad (a nod to proprietor Mark Gojcaj’s heritage) that includes tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and feta in red wine vinaigrette, and ahi tuna salad with soy vinaigrette. Any self-respecting bar and grill has to have a good burger, and Louie’s serves its on brioche buns in versions that include the Reuben burger with corned beef, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing. That, along with the pastrami and ham sandwiches on the menu, harks to the other Louie’s — Louie’s Ham & Corned Beef at Eastern Market, the sibling of the new spot. READ THE REST AT http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140827/ ENT03/308270024
WINTER 2014
JILL SILVA
Food editor, restaurant critic and blog curator for the Kansas City Star, @kcstarfood, http://www.kansascity. com/living/food-drink/
• Always pay for your food. • Never announce your visit. You want to be treated like an average diner. • Dine more than once for a fair assessment. Two to three times is preferable. If you cannot afford that kind of expense, skip the review and write a feature story instead. • Be honest but also be kind in your evaluation. You are criticizing someone’s dreams and their livelihood so make your point, but do not belabor it. • Be accurate. Be accurate. Be accurate. And verify. Call and talk to the chef to verify the correct herb or preparation technique. A review of a sandwich shop requires the same accuracy. Opinion does not suspend good journalism practices. It is always better to fact check than to run a correction later. • Be descriptive; yuck, yum, weird, gross don’t cut it. • Be an omnivore. Picky eaters need not apply. • Consider attending or auditing culinary
classes at a local community college. They are affordable, and they will give you the background to be authoritative in your writing. • Avoid writing a review that reads like a list of ingredients taken from the menu. Try to convey the joy of eating and put a restaurant or meal into a cultural context.
JILL TOYOSHIBA/THE KANSAS CITY STAR
COCOBOLOS AT PRAIRIEFIRE HAS FLAIR BUT NOT ENOUGH FLAVOR
By Jill Wendholt Silva, Kansas City Star Kansas City’s top chefs are increasingly adding consulting gigs and partnerships to their résumés. Chef Michael Smith has long developed recipes for homegrown, fast-casual Spin pizzeria to great success. More recently he has taken on a partnership with CocoBolos, a
Mexican-style cantina loosely based on a restaurant founded more than a decade ago in Manhattan, Kan. … Meanwhile, to keep hunger at bay while we studied the menu, we dug into an order of house-made tortilla chips and salsa (a trio of tomatillo, chipotle and salsa Mexicana) for $4. The chips arrived in an attractive rustic wooden bowl, but from the first bite they were an overly dense and clunky affair. Smith says many people like the heft of the CocoBolos chip, but I cannot say I’m a fan. … Most of the entrees possessed the wow factor when it came to presentation. The chimichurri-topped hanger steak ($17) was perhaps the most visually enticing entree, served on a lime green plate topped with a colorful confetti of fresh slaw and rounds of ancho-dusted fried potatoes. The same confetti of slaw covered the guava-glazed pork ribs ($21), which had a fruity flavor that would have benefited from a modest kiss of smoke. The guava glaze also made an appearance on bacon-wrapped shrimp ($24), which were tasty, if skimpy compared to the portion sizes of the other entrees. READ THE REST AT http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/restaurants/article2117355.html#storylink=cpy
JEA APPAREL Choose from these styles: • Men’s polo • Women’s polo • Men’s long-sleeve shirt • Women’s 3/4-sleeve shirt Adult sizes S-3X
store.jea.org WINTER 2014
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JE Fir