Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

For a year, I worked at a Nursing Home as an Activities Assistant. I was shocked and dismayed that they were informed well in advance of State Inspections. The flurry of activity and improvements was unbelievable. I guess if they had no advance notice, possibly they could have been shut down with nowhere for the residents to go? The standard of service should not have been different because they were going to be inspected and evaluated, but it most definitely was, in every department. I think the same happens in restaurants. No notice, anonymity and get paid by your employer, period.

I have reviewed restaurants for a magazine where prior arrangements have been made. I've tasted some good things and was treated well on these visits. One chef even invited me back into the kitchen to watch naan bread cook inside a tandoor oven! I would hope the staff treated me the same way they would any customer. This covers the entire experience, from service and atmosphere to quality and presentation of food. But there is the possibility they tried to ramp up the "pamper" factor in hopes of gaining a favorable review. I have also written about restaurant experiences on my blog. On these occasions, I didn't reveal (at least verbally) to the staff of my food writing intentions, though the camera and notepad did come out. Whether this affected service or quality of food, I don't know. Perhaps I should return to a place again, without arrangements, to compare and contrast experiences.

I really can't believe that someone who's known to be a critic won't be given special attention in a restaurant. They may be giving an honest review of what they get, but what they get isn't necessarily what everyone else gets, and when I read reviews, I want to know what to expect, not what to expect if I were a critic, too. I second akbmeier's suggested read. I was always a little surprised to read how poorly Reichl was treated when she went into a restaurant "undercover."