The Critics (Or Not)

Esquire restaurant man John Mariani explains why no Houston restaurants were on his best new restaurant list: "...I name 20 restaurants in the U.S., so not every year is every city going to have one." Mariani also explains his process: "I do tell the restaurants that I'm coming for the simple reason that I'm not technically a daily city newspaper critic who pretends to be anonymous when everyone knows who they are... I go as a feature writer. I want to talk to the chef, and I tell him to make me his best dish." [Houston Press]