Serious Eats
Marcia G. Trades Tips for Trip Reports
Do you find yourself continually stumped on what restaurant to try? Add a special occasion and the pressure only goes up. There's nothing like a little personalized concierge service from someone who knows the local restaurant scene backwards and forwards. If you're in San Francisco, Marcia "Rhymes with Garcia" Gagliardi is offering diners a pretty sweet deal through her well-read Tablehopper newsletter. Previously a "friends-only" service, Tip Please offers Gagliardi's expertise for the measly cost of an email. If you ask me, that's a bargain for even a whiff of the kind of inside dope that Gagliardi collects as one of San Francisco's most energetic restaurant reviewers. You fill out a short web form, which asks all the salient facts (time frame, occasion, vibe, budget), wait a day or two, and get some sage wisdom. The only catch is that you report back on your dinner after the fact. Sounds like a win-win to me. You either get to confirm Marcia's magic touch or save the next hungry soul from a restaurant that doesn't live up to its reputation.