by Catherine L. Tully

 We have talked about restaurant reviews before on FZ, but this post is a little different. We’re going to focus on some simple preparatory tips that can help make the experience one that you can more easily evaluate. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind before you set foot in the restaurant:

Don’t eat too close to when you go. If you are not hungry when you arrive, how can you seriously evaluate the fare? You know how grocery shopping gets lame if you go after you have had lunch? Same applies here. If you are ravenous, have a small snack to hold you over.

Read and research before, not after. Preparation means doing this stuff ahead of time. Look at the menu, read the position statement or whatever it is you do to prepare–but do it before you go. This is the same concept as being prepared for an interview–it doesn’t work to do the leg-work after you talk to the person…

Mentally prepare yourself. Don’t walk in distracted. You need to be paying attention to the ambience, service and other details from the moment you arrive. If you are thinking about another article or your mind is elsewhere you won’t remember much about these things later.

Get directions. Nothing is worse than being late for a reservation when you are going to review a restaurant. Know where you are going and the experience will be off to a good start. If you are behind schedule you can’t evaluate things properly.

Doing these simple things will help you to be ready to give any restaurant a fair, attentive review. Ignoring them can mean missing important details. It really does help to be prepared!