A New Venture

On more than one occasion I have mentioned my friend, Amy, with whom I teach--but with whom I share more than a common profession. Teaching at the same school was simply the universe's way of introducing us, I believe, putting us in each other's paths. After chaperoning several dances and proms together, as most newbies will, it still took several years to cultivate our friendship, and a vacation in Rome to solidify it.

We enjoy going out for drinks and dinner, sometimes just drinks (but never just dinner). And because we both love food-- both preparing and experimenting in our own respective kitchens and enjoying other people's culinary creations--our dinner conversations have never been simply about the day, or her marriage, or my relationship, our mutual discontent with goings on at school, or plans for the weekend. When dinner is presented and it is time to eat, we start by taking our meals in with our eyes, then leaning over our dishes and breathing in the aromas. We eat, eventually we share samples, and we talk food. Foodie talk.

Is that nutmeg?

I like the earthiness of the cumin in that dish.

I think the shrimp are a little overcooked.

This steak is like butter.

I'd offer you some, but there are mushrooms in it. I still can't believe you don't like mushrooms. (Amy, not me. How could I not like mushrooms when my mother forages in the woods for them?...)

Since Amy blogs with her husband about their food adventures in the kitchen and beyond in A Couple in the Kitchen and I am blogging, too, it seemed like a natural outgrowth to begin a blog together. One day, back in the fall, when my creative juices were flowing, I started Restaurant Report Cards. Amy loved the concept as much as I did (and didn't mind that I pulled the first couple of reviews from "Couple"), and so we've been working on it together ever since.

While it is a labor of love, and it feels natural now to come home after a dinner out and write about it, we do hope that someone will take notice, that it might lead us elsewhere-- a column maybe, or a book. We'd even settle for free dinners! To that end, later this week we hope to create a buzz. (Shameless self-promotion I call it.) We will be sending postcards to family and friends and foodies, introducing ourselves and our restaurant reviews, inviting people to log on to Restaurant Report Cards, or what we call RRC, and read. I hope you'll click there as well.