Inside My Table #90 | Excerpt
Editor’s Letter—Tossed Salad
By Teresa Byrne-Dodge
I have several pieces of news to share with you. The first concerns a shameful bit of impersonation that recently came to our attention. A local restaurateur emailed to tell me about a customer who had become angry about her food order the night before, and, in the course of berating him, she claimed she worked for My Table magazine and was going to write a negative review of his restaurant. Naturally, he was very upset. I assured the restaurateur, whom I know, that no one from our magazine would behave in such a way or make such a threat.
Was this woman angling for a free meal? I don’t know. But it reminded me of another episode that I heard about a couple years ago. A woman walked into a restaurant with several friends, told the owner she was Teresa Byrne-Dodge and asked for a complimentary round of drinks and appetizers.
I was appalled … and helpless to do anything.
Let me go on record and tell restaurant owners that it is not our policy to request free food or drinks. Ever. Our reviewers do their work anonymously, submit their credit card bills to me, and I reimburse them. Sometimes, in the course of a meal, especially if the writers are impressed, they’ll ask for the owner or manager and introduce ourselves in order to get background information.
To sum up: Owners, if someone tells you that they work for My Table magazine and would like a free sampling of the menu or they ask you to comp their meal, be suspicious. It’s not us.
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SideDish, our e-newsletter has gone weekly! It’s absolutely packed with information – upcoming vintner dinners, Randy McCrea’s wine tips, local chef recipes, all kinds of Houston foodie stuff. And we’ve added a special incentive: promotional giveaways for SideDish readers only. Our first giveaways are gift cards from Crave Cupcakes, each good for a dozen cupcakes, just in time for Easter, Passover or, should you need some sweet sustenance, April 15 Tax Day. On deck, we’ve got a winery tour and tasting for 20, Sunday brunch, a round of golf, barbecue pack for 12 and other nice gifts. To sign up for SideDish, visit www.my-table.com/sidedish. It’s free, and I know you will enjoy it.
We’re also pumping up our website with more news and tie-ins to the magazine. We’ve even got a restaurant blogger now. Eatlikeafatbaby.blogspot.com is from local blogger Natalie Frazier and has recently linked to the My Table website. She’s spunky and fun, never mean.
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Mr. Anon, our staff curmudgeon, is currently on sabbatical. He will return to us in a few issues.
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Last, a self-serving suggestion. Our 22,000 magazine readers are educated, cultured, savvy and mostly local, and they all share a common interest: this magazine. Why not give a small taste of your business to our readers? Our ad rates are cheap – ads start at just $235. Call Vickie Staff (713-854-3328) or Jane Kremer (713-973-0207) for a media kit.
