15 Comments

1. Mike In WNY says:

   December 28, 2006 at 3:06 am

   I hear you!
2. Mike Miller says:

   December 28, 2006 at 6:06 am

   BRO played a large hand in starting positive grassroots movements here in Buffalo, and at a time when no one was repeating any good news about the city. It’s only recently that you see positive TV news spots, like WIVB’s Rich Newberg’s “Rebirth on the Waterfront”. I think BRO’s positivity has caught on to some of our local reporters.

   It is what it is. It’s basically a hype machine, yes, but if you temper it with some reality of the bigger picture of Buffalo, there’s still a generally encouraging outlook to be found. Buffalo’s decline happened over 50 years. It’s revitalization may not take that long, but will not happen as fast as we’d all like. This is a long term effort. The danger in blindly believing the hype is that one can get extremely discouraged when they realize just how much work still needs to be done. Check out a story I wrote recently about this very thing:

   http://www.shadesofgray.wnymedia.net/?p=255#more-255
3. Jefferson says:

   December 28, 2006 at 9:53 am

   All things – I hear you, too, but some of the comments mitigate the hype if you know what I mean. (Actually, of late, some of the comments have been downright nasty but c’est la vie)
4. John Straubnger says:

   December 28, 2006 at 10:35 am

   If Buffalo Rising advocates the power of positiveness for Buffalo as an alternative to the much stronger negativity that has been pervasive in Buffalo for the last 50 years why should its efforts be dismissed as pollyannish or unrealistic. Buffalo Rising offers as an alternative reality for Buffalo’s future the power of the individual to act at his/her level through his/her dreams, plans, etc toeffect change that a person can actually experience. The standard negativity trumpted as the status quo in Buffalo by Captain Bringdown Tom Buerle or Sally the disagreeable Buffalo Rising poster and many, many others has its basis in the failure of local and state government to affect any major workable solutions on to our problems coupled with the greatest collection of incompetent politicians ever assembled in one locality on a generational basis. Buffalo Rising is not advocating Bass Pro and any of the other public-private partnership proposals as the solution to Buffalo’s problems. It merely suggests and demonstrates that individuals, through their own actions, are far more effective in making changes to the situation around here that the usual colection Buffalo and Erie County politicians or Rudnick and his partnership or even as it now appears, the BNE initiative.
5. Fed-Up in Buffalo says:

   December 28, 2006 at 11:09 am

   All things, I have always thought the same thing about BRO. I’m no blogging expert but sometimes when I read there, it’s like a “love shack” for everything. Props: it’s not the worse blog out there

   Happy New Year.
6. STEEL says:

   December 28, 2006 at 11:10 am

   The BR Yum policy makes sense to me. I do not understand what the controversy is. They are not in the business of tearing down an establishment. Their mission is to point people in the direction of the positives. Why is that a problem? ? ?
7. BCB says:

   December 28, 2006 at 11:25 am

   I think it’s a great policy. If you don’t hear about it…it means it’s not worth hearing about.
8. BuffaloGeek says:

   December 28, 2006 at 12:22 pm

   Steel, it’s Mark’s opinion, not a controversy.

   The point of writing a review of a restaurant that provides middling service or mediocre food is to encourage them to improve. If BRO used their editorial might to write a “thumbs down” review of a restaurant, that owner and staff might step up their game a bit as to garner a more positive review on the next visit. The same can be said for Buffalo Spree’s endlessly positive restaurant reviews by our own BuffaloPundit.

   We need honest reviews that force restauranteurs out of their comfort zone and challenge the status quo.
9. STEEL says:

   December 28, 2006 at 11:07 pm

   Geek,

   Your comment is off base suggesting that BRO’s reviews (correction) recommendations are not honest. As Newel states he is offering up his opinion on great places to eat. He is not attempting to improve any lack luster restaurants. Just point the way to the good ones. I still don’t see the problem with that
10. Fed-Up in Buffalo says:

    December 28, 2006 at 11:28 pm

    “The BR Yum policy makes sense to me. I do not understand what the controversy is. They are not in the business of tearing down an establishment. Their mission is to point people in the direction of the positives. Why is that a problem? ? ?”

    What if the food [and or service] really is bad? A+ anyways because Buffalo Rising “reviewed” it? I agree with Buffalo Geek. We need more honest reviews.
11. BuffaloGeek says:

    December 28, 2006 at 11:39 pm

    No, I did not imply any such thing. It would appear you have a reading comprehension problem.

    What I said was that writing only about good experiences doesn’t really serve anyone well in the end. The same can be said for Spree and not just BRO.

    I went to Empire Grill and received bad service and the food was mediocre. I wrote about it knowing that a 1,000-3,000 or so people would read the review on my site, WNYM, and google.

    The owner contacted me shortly after seeing my review, appreciated my honesty and made some changes. Since then, service and food reports have been positive from others who have been there.

    Was I responsible for the restaurant cleaning up it’s act? Not directly but, knowing that there are people out there with a wide media reach who are reviewing your restaurant keeps an owner on his toes.

    Only praise creates a lazy industry and we deserve better than that in Buffalo.
12. Eliz. says:

    December 29, 2006 at 12:07 pm

    Fair enough, Geek, but Artvoice also invariably gives good reviews, if you’re going to name names here. In Spree’s defense, I will point out that Alan absolutely panned the late Just Pasta without a shadow of a doubt in our Decc issue and usually includes a few points needing improvement in most of his reviews.

    Having said all this, I believe he truly liked Empire Grill, just as I believe that you truly did not.. I hear contradictory experiences of restaurants all the time, and I am sure you do too.
13. STEEL says:

    December 29, 2006 at 8:09 pm

    Geek says:
    “We need honest reviews that force restauranteurs out of their comfort zone and challenge the status quo.”

    And then claims:
    “No, I did not imply any such thing [dishonesty]. It would appear you have a reading comprehension problem”

    When I read the phrase “We need honest reviews…” I comprehend that you are suggesting that Newel is not being honest in all his reviews. I think BRO set out a perfectly clear, honest, and logical food recommendation policy that fits their stated mission. They don’t sell cars either. Should they be criticized for that?

    I understand what you are looking for in a food critic but BRO is telling you that they are not food critics. They are providing information on places they believe are worthy of your patronage nothing more nothing less. Perhaps WNYmedia can fill this void in the local media scene
14. sbrof says:

    December 31, 2006 at 8:27 am

    I can see the point of both perspectives. Non positive reviews may lead to change but then again it is great to go to BRO YUM and find something new and good worth checking out. Two different goals. Maybe if you don’t ever get a review on BRO that helps to promote change. No one ever said if they went somewhere and didn’t like it they would still publish something positive. If they did that, then it could be considered dishonest.

    Then again everything with food is VERY subjective. Places I love and can’t get enough of ever, some friends won’t even consider an option. So in the end it’s just a suggestion, reviews are never the “truth.”