Flipping through the whatweredoin.com blog the other day, I came across a discussion of our Top Ten Overrated Restaurants that included this comment from "Bread Winners":
"Interesting that not a week later, City of Ate...named us one of 'Uptowns 10 Best Patios.' They love us, they hate us, they love to hate us."
Funny how often restaurateurs--and for the sake of this post I'll believe these are the thoughts of someone in Bread Winners' management--assume critics have something against them. They simply can't fathom that an accumulation of little flaws (or, perhaps, one big one) on their part led to the not-very-positive assessment in a review or blog piece. In many cases, they get hung up on one or two words, thereby missing the point of an entire story.
I can't speak for others, but it makes little difference to me if Bread Winners (or any other restaurant) is acclaimed best in the country, if they fail completely or if they keep chugging at their current pace. I neither love them nor hate them, in other words--although I do drop by for brunch occasionally.
In assembling that particular list, I made certain to explain
"overrated" does not mean the same thing as "bad." Some of those top
ten are, indeed, places I frequent (as much as my schedule allows me to
frequent places). Bread Winners draws impressive crowds because they
don't falter often. They made the list, however, because success has
apparently dulled any incentives to really push harder, so they flutter
there in the 'just good enough' range that seems to work so well in
Dallas.
You know, Hollandaise sauce prepared with care and the
best ingredients will cause you to slump in your chair and wish never
to move again. The stuff they--and most other restaurants--serve may
generate an 'it's OK" shrug.
Of course, whoever posted the
comment admits "we're not saying we do everything 100% right all of the
time." Really, the person should understand where I'm coming from, then.
And
to miss the point that "best patios" is a category entirely distinct
from...well, never mind. I'm not personally a big fan of their patio,
but I do visit the restaurant. I just don't see the love or hate in
either. What I recognize is this: they could, if they wished, encourage
the line to pay more attention to sauces and other items.
Not to
single Bread Winners out. There are a number of restaurant owners,
managers and chefs who are convinced one critic or another (or all of
us) holds some sort of grudge against them.
Sorry. I just don't care to waste that much emotion on you. I'll save my love for Xbox 360 and my hatred for Cheney, the Pittsburgh Steelers and anyone responsible for Pauly Shore.
