Tim Zagat and his wife were lawyers when living in Paris changed their relation to food.
(Bebeto Matthews/Ap/File 2006)
G FORCE | TIM ZAGAT
Critic of all he surveys
Tim Zagat and his wife were lawyers when living in Paris changed their relation to food.
(Bebeto Matthews/Ap/File 2006)
Thirty years ago, Tim Zagat asked some friends to write down their favorite New York restaurants. The results eventually became the Zagat guides, in which restaurant customers comment on food, service, ambience, and other factors related to dining out. The guides are now in 90 cities around the world. Two weeks ago, Zagat, 68, the CEO, and his wife and cofounder, Nina, 66, released the latest Boston findings. This year about 6,700 people participated. Legal Sea Foods is the most popular restaurant in Boston (it had the first spot last year too). Hungry Mother and Sofra Bakery and Cafe, both in Cambridge, are top newcomers. A typical survey participant dines out one out of every 2 1/2 days, says Tim Zagat.
Q. Let's get the pronounciation of your name correct. I've heard it many ways.
A. Like the Cat in the Hat and that's that. It's za-GAT.
Q. You went to law school and became a New York attorney. Does that make an angry restaurateur reluctant to file a suit?
A. Number one, the chances of anyone succeeding in a lawsuit are relatively limited because of the standards the courts use. Number two, almost everyone in restaurants likes what we do because it's coming from their customers. The critic's job is to analyze a restaurant in detail and to point out issues about the restaurant, to be critical. The average restaurant-goer goes to have a good time. If we have a fault it's that we're a little too positive. If the critics have a fault, they sound a little underenthused.
Q. How did you get so interested in food?
A. Almost immediately when I got to my Wall Street law firm, I was asked to go to Paris. Nina managed to get herself assigned to Paris from her firm. We had a life-changing experience.
Q. I go out to eat all the time and I never see Zagat forms to fill out.
A. They are never in the restaurant. To vote, you have to go to zagat.com. The site has lots and lots of things on it, thousands of menus, pictures, and videos, and the ability to order.
Q. I read that your company was for sale for a reported $200 million but you took it off the market. Why?
A. Because as we were going forward with it, the markets started falling and our prospective buyers weren't going to make it for our price.
Q. Why is service mediocre in so many restaurants?
A. When was the last time you saw a maitre d' on the Food Network? All of the things that are vital to American restaurants have not happened at the front of the house. I'm constantly reiterating that this is a problem that needs to be addressed.
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