Washington Post Critic Defends Giving Food Truck Two Stars

Last week the Washington Post's critic Tom Sietsema released his Fall Dining Guide and awarded two out of four stars to the Red Hook Lobster Truck, a Washington, DC offshoot of the brick-and-mortar Red Hook Lobster Pound in Brooklyn.

In his weekly Q&A, he replied to the reader-critics who questioned his inclusion of a food truck ("A lobster truck? Really? Can't wait for the Spring Dining Guide and the review of Frank's Hot Dog Stand."). Sietsema wrote, "Damned if I do, damned in I don't. What's wrong with mixing things up a bit from year to year? Food trucks are all the rage right now; I wanted to salute the one I think is doing what it does, best."

He also said that the two-star rating was contextual — mobile apple and stationary oranges! — he wrote: "In handing out stars, I compare like venues with like venues. For example, I ate at a bunch of food trucks in the city and 'burbs before selecting the lobstermobile as the best of what I experienced in terms of food quality, mostly, but also taking atmosphere (the scene) and service into consideration." The tricky part is the lack of food truck context here: What's a one-star truck? What's a three-star?

· Keep on (food) truckin'? [WaPo]
· All Food Truck Coverage on Eater [-E-]
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