The Rules I Follow
In an effort to preserve the integrity and credibility of this site, I thought it would be appropriate to establish and publish a set of rules and guidelines to which I will adhere while writing my reviews. I want to assure my readers that what they read on my site is authentic personal accounts and opinions, not advertising for the featured establishments.
I believe that every restaurant has good and bad aspects and I will try to present both sides appropriately. I will try to keep things as balanced as possible, not too rosy but not too negative. However, given the fact that most food establishments in Hoboken are pretty good, most of my reviews will probably tend to have positive undertones.
If I have a really terrible experience at a particular restaurant, I will not write about it until I give it a second try, so i have more information to convey on my website. Sometimes, restaurants and restaurant employees have a bad day, and that’s ok. I do not wish to blemish a good restaurant’s reputation just because of one isolated bad experience.
My criticisms will be in good taste. It is not my intention to smear restaurants, no matter how bad an experience I have there. Anything I write about negative aspects of a local establishment will be supported by concrete evidence, although I will try to keep my criticisms constructive rather than degrading.
I will never use my status as a website owner to obtain free meals or other provisions from the restaurants I am writing about. My loyalty is to my readers, and myself. I do not want restaurants to give me special treatment, I want the real deal. Which leads me to my final point…
I will not reveal to the restaurant owners or employees that I write for a website. This could be complicated because as the site becomes more popular, there is a possibility that my identity could become known within the community, and it could become increasingly difficult to remain incognito. However, I will do my best by abstaining from such activities as writing investigative articles. For example, if a new restaurant opens in town, I will not go there and interview the owner or ask to take pictures for my website. Any information I gather will be based on my own experiences and nonchalant inquiries. For that reason, readers should not expect this website to have lightning-fast reporting on the all the newest restaurants in town. Rather, I will write about them when I get around to trying them. But don’t worry, I won’t wait too long–I want to try new places just as much as everyone else does. Remember, I’m just like you.