The Spoon System: A Guide to Ranking Restaurants

Anybody familiar with fine dining or the restaraunt industry knows the weight a prestigious Michelin star caries. They are the gold standard in fine dining. Taking into account food and not much else. What if there was a system that levels the playing field between fine dining and every other restaraunt out there?

This thought crept in after a recent trip to Florida... we had an incredibly memorable experience at a hole in the wall deli. Then, we went to a one starred bougee fine dining establishment and left feeling utterly disappointed. After many discussions of the stark differences in these two experiences the AF Spoon System was born.

What the heck is a spoon and why should you care? As far as we know, the spoon was the first ever utensil. The fork was not widely used until the sixteenth century. Something about the spoon being the first utensil used to enjoy food drew me to it as the benchmark for rating all types of restaurants.

The 5 Metrics to Earn a Spoon

There will be five key metrics to rating establishments.

An establishment can be a restaraunt, bar, coffee shop, bakery, ice cream bar or anywhere else serving food to be enjoyed! Each location will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Food - is the food executed properly? Are they using high quality ingredients? Are the proper techniques being utilized. Is the food seasoned well?

Menu Creation - this aspect is often overlooked. Is the menu inviting? Do the options make you WANT to eat there? Are there creative options on the menu? Are they catering to a variety variety of taste and dietary restrictions? Do they have too many options?

Service - in my opinion service can make or break any establishment. We dine out for an experience, most of us can cook a fine meal at home. If the service is subpar across the board then the experience is not as enjoyable.

Value - this is a simple metric. When you receive the check, do you feel like the meal was appropriately priced?

Atmosphere -is the establishment comfortable and inviting?

The AF Spoon System Ratings

Not AF Recommended - This ranking will be used for establishments that do not meet the standards. This rating does not necessarily mean it was a bad place. Just that it does not meet the metrics listed above.

Honorable Mention - An establishment that does not quite meet the requirements to receive a Spoon, but deserves a strong recommendation. The majority of establishments will fall within this category.

Single Spoon - An establishment that embodies the five AF Metrics, they have great food, and don't forget about everything else that goes into creating an experience: menu, service, value and atmosphere.

Double Spoon - An establishment that has much more than just great food. They are consistently pushing the boundaries to have the best food, menu, service, value and atmosphere.

Triple Spoon - This rating is reserved for the best of the best. A restaurant that is pushing the boundaries of great food, has a strong menu focused on seasonal ingredients, service that goes above and beyond, value that leaves you feeling satisfied and great atmosphere.

In your opinion, what restaurants deserve a spoon? Subscribe below and don't forget to send over your favorite restaurants!

-- AF