Although it's barely read in these parts, the Zagat restaurant guides have been culinary bibles for a decade or more in big urban areas. Maybe not so much anymore?
With so many online rating and review sites around, from old-guard joints like CitySearch to fast-growing big boy Yelp, the venerable restaurant guide might be losing its luster. One clear sign of that was when Tim and Nina Zagat attempted to sell the publishing empire earlier this year, they couldn't get the price they wanted. Here's an actual Zagat forum that discusses the crimson dynamo's relevance, or lack thereof.
Tune in to tomorrow's issue of CL where I'll break down the myriad of options facing diners who want to pick a restaurant for dinner. Wanna' know who to trust? It's me.
This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2008.
