Wow, desertrose, all I read from your above comment was "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah....you are a very pathetic chef with lots to learn."

Perhaps, your biggest assumption, desertrose, is that ALL of those people, you so vehemently and ineffectually defend, are honest and are giving unbiased reviews and critiques. This is a naive assumption. And you, desertrose, have a lot to learn about the internet and how people become dramatically more snarky and mean (much like yourself) when online.

Chef Tila is more aware of this than you, desertrose. Chef Tila and the other "arrogant chefs"
deal with criticism, good and bad, online and off, everyday. The professionals know people tend to exaggerate the bad experiences and tell more people as well. This is a well-known marketing study. When people have a complaint they tell at least 5 people versus the 1 person they tell about a good experience.

Desertrose, you are an armchair critic who sits around in her mumu eating cartons of Twinkies while watching Jerry Springer all day. See how easy it was to make that mean spirited assumption about you?

In fact, I dare you to say what you just did to Chef Tila IN PERSON. I'm willing to bet, you couldn't do it. And I surmise that most of the Yelpers and food bloggers and nasty commenters wouldn't say the negative things they post to their target's face.

And this is not because what they have to say is negative, it's because much of the time what they say is negative AND it's b.s. or exaggerated. If it was constructive criticism like some professional critics would provide, we would wouldn't be having this conversation.

Next time, desertrose, cut down on the vitriol and maybe you won't sound like "blah, blah, blah, blah..."

Great piece. Very informative and entertaining. You are one scholarly chef!

Yelpers are the worst offenders of such drive-by reviews. They're not all bad but, as you pointed out, the "prolific" Yelpers are the worst of the worst since posting mass quantities of reviews for them amounts to a pissing contest in their community.

Moreover, the new generation of food bloggers, specifically restaurant bloggers, have a very self-centered perspective of dining. They are extremely focused on each other and are essentially trying to out do the other. Being the "first" to eat at a new restaurant is the claim to fame for this new type of food blogger.

Any credible food critic knows that being the first one to experience a new restaurant is not a good strategy nor does it paint an accurate picture of the establishment. But, of course, credibility is not a priority with most of these folks.

And as time goes on, with the help of articles like yours, consumers will start to realize Yelp's deficits and be taking its reviews with a Costco sized grain of salt. Keep fighting the good fight, Chef Jet!