A funny thing happened this week.
While asking permission to take a picture at a Corned Beef site, I was asked “Why, are you planning on opening a restaurant?” Of course the answer was “no”, but I felt like I owed a further explanation. Like who I was and why I was taking these pictures.
So, believing that honesty is the best policy, I explained that I’m one of the writers* over at Best Corned Beef in Cleveland dot com and that I’d be posting something later this week.
And that got me to thinking. When I was anonymous, no one would ever think of giving me free stuff to influence my writing. But they might if they knew I was going to review them.
So here’s the policy:
Food Review Policy
- I’m passionate about Corned Beef. I like to smell it, I like to squish it between two pieces of bread, I like to write about it and above all those, I like to eat it.
- I’m not a professional food critic. This is a hobby.
- Writers* at Best Corned Beef in Cleveland are expressing their opinions. If we figure out a way to objectively provide repeatable, unbiased ratings for Corned Beef, we’ll be sure to let you know.
- Writers* at Best Corned Beef in Cleveland are not paid for their work, nor are they compensated with free food. It hasn’t happened yet (6/24/2010), but if a restaurant offers free or discounted food, we will insist on paying full price. If this is not acceptable to the restaurant, then we will walk away. Sadly. Hungrily.
- We’ll be open, honest and transparent with you, the readers and them, the brisket bakers. That doesn’t always mean I’ll show up at their restaurant with my Best Corned Beef in Cleveland card, but I won’t evade any questions, either.
There, how’s that?
*Regarding “Writers”: Three people signed up for this project. Currently, two of them are slackers.