Simple things at Sketch Food and Wine

• Root Down was interesting to write (and read) about. You asked what restaurants get reviewed, not what it takes for a restaurant to get mentioned in other places. That is a distinction quite a few commentors have failed to make of late. As far as Jason's reviews, he has said on more than one occasion that he waits at least three months if not six after a restaurant has opened to publish a review. If the restaurants you have mentioned are truly "great" then I would bet that you will start to see some reviews on those restaurants published in the next few weeks. Far my part, I doubt that there has even been one "great" restaurant opened in town in the last six months. If you would rather judge a food writer solely by what they choose to review as opposed to the quality of their writing, go ahead and get bored out of your skull by Tucker Shaw. I'll still with JS, thank you.

• i just picked up the 5280 top of the town issue, and in there FAQ's one of them says you don't have to advertise to make the list. i find that bogus, look at the editor's choice, not all, but the majority have or are advertising in print or online, bogus!!! (and that's being nice). as for sheehan, i've seen great restaurants open in the last 6 months that i've been here and not a mention, and crappy restaurants like R__ D___ get a whole page of attention. shaw is an animal of his own. though he hardly has anything bad to say. his choices are much better than the rest.

• Having followed JS (yes, that one) for all 7 of his years here, I would say you have to be good (or have an obvious potential to be very good that he will scold you for not living up to), do something off the beaten track--steak and bobas or bbq and donuts come to mind--or be off-the-charts horrible. In short, you have to be interesting to write about. Unlike reviews I have seen in major dailies across the country, Jason is not going to write a review about you if you are mediocre or ordinary. For 5280, your place needs to cater to their demographic of either young, hot and wannabe rich or rich and wannabe young and hot. As for the Post, your guess is as good as mine as to what Tucker Shaw decides to review--usuaully a restaurant that most of us have known about for more than a year or so.

• how does a restaurant get a review in this town? being new to town, potentially opening a new spot, one is just curious?!?

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