Off The Menu, October 22

Gaming the System
The New York Times has reported that Yelp is cracking down on businesses that actively solicit positive reviews. Eight businesses were caught in a sting operation and there will be consequences. “…For the next three months, their Yelp profile pages will feature a ‘consumer alert’ that says: ‘We caught someone red-handed trying to buy reviews for this business.’”
And yes, you read that right – Yelp ran a sting operation. (Shouldn’t it be the other way around?)
Read the full warning – err, story – here: Buy Reviews on Yelp, Get Black Mark [The New York Times]

Food Trends Worth Hating
LA Weekly has put together a list of 5 food trends that not only should no one ever do again, but should not have happened in the first place. Best line of the piece? Calling one food item “the fake boobs of food”.
Read the full list: The Top 5 Things Restaurants Should Never Serve Again [LA Weekly]

Interview with Ryan Anderson
As part of their on-going series, The Gatekeepers, Eater Ausin spoke recently with Ryan Anderson, Uchi Group’s training manager. Mr. Anderson details Uchi’s approach to long waits for a table, notes that bribes are always graciously declined, and tells about his favorite table to sit at.
Read the full interview: Uchi’s Ryan Anderson On Celebs, Bribes, Uchi ‘Culture’ [Eater Austin]

 

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