| One thing that I enjoy very much when going on | | | | using such newspapers restaurant guides we |
| a vacation or just traveling somewhere special is | | | | were able to know the available restaurants but |
| when we try different restaurants and places to | | | | we didn't know how to choose. At one of our |
| eat. Of course, when we go to a new place, we | | | | trips, we found out that the best restaurant |
| don't know where we can find the best food. | | | | guides were talking to local residents. May be I am |
| Therefore, usually we used restaurant guides to | | | | surprising you with this method but asking local |
| help us find restaurants in an unknown town. | | | | residents soon appeared to be a very effective |
| Soon, we realized that restaurant guides most of | | | | way to find good places to eat. We realize that |
| the time provided us with disappointing results. We | | | | people would love to support their favorite |
| found out that restaurant guides were not giving | | | | restaurant by recommending it. We used to go to |
| us correct information about the best places to | | | | the nearby bar for a drink. There we just asked |
| eat as they were usually printed by restaurant | | | | the people we met about their recommendations. |
| owners who were advertising their business. We | | | | Sometimes we simply asked the bartender. |
| needed a more reliable method than restaurant | | | | Actually, it has happened that we had much fun |
| guides were. In the quest for an effective way to | | | | when talking to the locals. I remember a situation |
| find nice places to eat, we decided to ask desk | | | | when we were visiting Minneapolis. We were |
| clerks at the hotel we were staying about their | | | | staying at a nice hotel but one evening we |
| recommendation of good restaurants. Although | | | | decided to walk to a nearby pub. It was not |
| we were happy to get better results than the | | | | Saturday or Sunday, so the pub was not |
| results we got using restaurant guides, we soon | | | | crowded. When we entered the pub, we sat at |
| realized that talking to the clerks was not the | | | | the bar and ordered a drink. Soon my husband |
| best way as well. Most often the clerks were to | | | | decided to ask the bartender whether he could |
| busy to answer our question, so we got no | | | | recommend us a nice place to eat. A man who |
| recommendations. In case they were not busy, | | | | was sitting next to us interrupted us and named a |
| they usually started to ask questions about what | | | | local restaurant before the bartender could |
| type of food we would prefer and how much we | | | | answer. Another man immediately added that this |
| could afford to spend at the restaurant. According | | | | restaurant had been good in the past but now it |
| to our answers to those questions, they would | | | | was under new management and it was no longer |
| make recommendations. Fortunately, their | | | | so good according to him. Soon all the people in |
| recommendations were usually very helpful. | | | | the bar began to argue. Everyone was telling |
| Actually, if it happened that we were staying at a | | | | various stories his or her experience with local |
| hotel, which was provided with a dining room, | | | | stories. |
| they would simply tell us to visit their own | | | | We realized that we are enjoying very much the |
| restaurant. On the other hand, some clerks were | | | | lively conversation so we asked to bartender to |
| recommending looking for restaurant guides | | | | make is a pizza. Then we spent the whole |
| provided in the room. We knew that some local | | | | evening talking to the locals in the bar. It was |
| newspapers were publishing restaurant guides. | | | | really a nice evening! When they served us the |
| Unfortunately, this type of restaurant guides was | | | | hot pizza, I heard someone saying that we could |
| not offering any critics but just a list of the local | | | | not find such a meal in the restaurant guides. I |
| restaurants and some basic information about | | | | must admit that this evening was more wonderful |
| cuisine, price, and some other information such as | | | | that any offered by the restaurant guides. |
| reservation requirements and dress code. So | | | | |