About

About me

My name is Leslie and my love of restaurants that “get it right” started during the several years that I worked for a company called Restaurant Rating Service. This was not a mystery diner type position. Restaurant owners hired the company to come in and secretly evaluate every aspect of the restaurant and dining experience. These guys knew that successful restaurants didn't succeed on food alone. These owners I understood that, for a restaurant to be truly stellar, every component of the business had to work. That position made me look at restaurants entirely differently. Of course, if the food is not good, it doesn’t matter what else you do right. But many restauranteurs believe that, if the food is right, nothing else matters. That is a recipe for what I call a "shooting star" restaurant - they are great for a short while and then they fizzle out. I love food and I love seeing restaurants that get it right! I especially love to see local restaurants succeed. At first, I used Twitter to share great food of course, but also to share what I had learned,  and to discuss small issues within establishments that could be changed for big results. Then Covid hit. I soon realized you could do everything right, and a Pandemic could STILL completely destroy you. I developed an even deeper passion for our local restaurants. We have some of the best establishments anywhere and even the little guys deserve a chance!

That is when the focus of my Twitter adventure changed. I still like to share restaurant experiences, new places to eat in Alabama cities across the state, history of restaurants (particularly in Birmingham, because I live here) and fun discussions about food in general. However, I have become more interested in promoting and encouraging local restaurants and businesses. I like to encourage my followers and friends to patronize the new and the old but mostly the local!

My Restaurant Rating Criteria

I love to share the great places I've been and the stellar dishes I've had. I also learn of new places to try and love sharing that too!

When I do a restaurant review I have the following rules.

1. I only publish reviews of the places I think are great places. I often speak of the “trifecta” of great food (including the menu), service, and atmosphere. If a place has great food and at least one of the other two factors, I will write a review. IF YOU SEE MY REVIEW ON A PLACE, I THINK IT IS WORTH A TRY!

   Look, I prefer to share the great spots! I figure the bad places will either improve or go away on their own. Besides, I encourage you to use ANY reviews or ratings as a way to decide whether to go a second time! I don’t want to share a poor experience, on the chance that I was there on a bad night!I If I DO have a bad experience, I always give the place another try!

2. I am not compensated for any reviews I post. I do not share my presence with the restaurant while I am dining. I pay for all of my meals. Many reviews you see these days are paid for by the establishment, tainting the objectivity of the review.

3. I have a set of criteria that I use to judge the varied aspects of a good restaurant. These are useful for everything from a Mom and Pop diner to fine dining. I try to review a wide variety of places in all categories.

4. I want to know what YOU think! If my review doesn’t match your experience, please let me know! I also would like to know of any hidden gems around the state that you have found! I love suggestions for places to try and share! I can’t go everywhere but I try to hit as many locally owned spots as I can! Talk to me!