Out with the old, in with the new…

Okay, 2009 is a New Year, and like many folks around town, I’m going to give this New Year’s resolution a serious try. I tried blogging a few years back, but gave up after only a few entries, simply because I either didn’t have something to write about or didn’t have enough time to do it. So what makes this new attempt different? Well, this time, I think I have a good subject, along with a contingency plan in case available time becomes an issue. The idea came to mind during dinner last night. I met with a few friends and neighbors at a local Italian restaurant, and as we enjoyed our meal, we started discussing the large variety of restaurants we’ve collectively dined at during the year. As we continued talking about the restaurants and the wonderful diversity of tastes and experiences, I thought, how cool it would be to write about these places and give an average guy’s critique. So here’s my plan: I eat out often (there are many different reasons why, but I’ll leave that for another entry), so each time that happens, I’ll try to write a brief passage describing my experience – a review if you will. I’ll write about any place we eat a meal at outside our home; although, I reserve the right to write about meals at home if there’s a good reason to do so (e.g. catered events, special occasions, etc.) I’ll provide my opinion on food taste, presentation/service, ambiance, bang-for-the-buck, and maybe even add a rating scale. I’ll include links to the restaurants’ websites when available, and will also post a picture or two whenever possible. I know there are plenty of sites like this in the internet, but I don’t care, mine will have a personal touch. Exceptions: generally, I won’t be writing about fast food burger joints, as these don’t really provide a unique experience – let’s face it, a burger at one McDonalds is the same at every other McDonalds. And what about the contingency plan? Very simple, I’m also an amateur photographer, so when I don’t have a place/meal to write about, or I don’t have enough time to sit and write something interesting, I’ll simply post a “photo of the day” from my online gallery, along with a brief description of the post – I think I can do that. BTW, here’s the first link: Chef Sammy’s Italian Restaurant in Doral - http://www.chefsammysdoral.com/