Okay, local restaurateurs time to step it up a notch!

Love em’ or hate em’, restaurant critics are as much a part of the culinary landscape as Julia Child. In every major metropolis across the globe, there are intrepid restaurateurs: some fresh faced, knives sharpened, just out of cooking school, others older, experienced, wizened yet still equally passionate. Their success or failure lies in limbo, waiting for that one reviewer to bestow upon them the ticket to culinary recognition or else doom them to obscurity and certain financial ruin.

That reviewer is not me.That reviewer makes reservations under clever pseudonyms. That reviewer dons various disguises to mask his or her identity. That reviewer makes or breaks the future of chefs and restaurateurs. That reviewer is not me.

Playa del Carmen, once a sleepy fishing village, seemingly undiscovered by all but a few, has become the fastest growing city in the world. Where once there was only impenetrable jungle, new all inclusive hotels, shopping malls, condominium complexes and restaurants seem to appear overnight. Now, millions of tourists arrive by air, land and sea to sample what Playa del Carmen has to offer. And not surprisingly, every day, nearly one hundred people decide to make Playa del Carmen their new home. Drawing visitors from all over the world, Playa del Carmen finds itself catering to the tastes of a varied clientele. Each individual arrives with his or her own set of standards, expectations and demands. And herein lays a challenge: establishing and maintaining a level of quality in our food services that will please new visitors and local residents alike. It is through honest commentary and objective criticism that we can discover our strengths and flush out our weaknesses.

This week marks the beginning of a monthly restaurant review for Playa Maya News. Taco joints, Chinese buffets, German, Thai, Sushi, French, Yucatecan and, of course, traditional Mexican restaurants will all be explored in what I will hope will be a long-running and beneficial column. All establishments will be considered and judged fairly. I will not, for example, draw comparisons between Byblos and my favorite bistro in Nice or wax poetic about 5 star restaurants in New York. Through these reviews, I hope we will be able to help stave off the complacency that can easily creep into a tourist driven market.

Will I reveal my identity? Only to my long-suffering spouse, and only if I have to. LSS has loose lips. Watching hosts and wait-staff scramble as a local reviewer crosses the threshold has never appealed to me. I prefer to remain anonymous to insure that my encounter in a particular restaurant is authentic.

Will I make reservations? Most likely, no. The majority of restaurants in Playa del Carmen do not require reservations. Many do not have a system for reservations at all. I’ll take my chances just like everyone else.

Will I wear silly outfits to disguise my identity? Well, maybe just for fun.

Will I report my experiences objectively and honestly without pandering to friends and local favorites? Absolutely.

You may not always like what I have to say. Your observations and experiences may not be the same as mine. Restaurant review is a tricky business. It won’t make you rich and it won’t win you friends, but it may raise the culinary bar in this town we all love.