Posted on 25 February 2014

One of the most-listened to, most-shared interviews I ever conducted was with Chris Dias, who goes by the online handle “Prince Gastronome.” Way back in the olden days of 2012, Chris was partway through the process of eating at and reviewing every non-franchise restaurant in Prince George. One of the things that stood out to me about his process is he had no intention of being kind. He wasn’t giving bonus points for trying- he figured that the restaurants of Prince George should be held to the same standards as in major cities, so he was quick with the criticism where he felt fit.
Two years later, he has done exactly what he set out to do and is now doling out the awards for the best of the bunch. I don’t agree with everything on his list, but I do agree with the process, and I find his personal take a lot more interesting than the mass-vote “Best in PG” lists that hand out awards for best burger to McDonald’s and best icecream to Dairy Queen. It’s also interesting to see someone rate local businesses on such a harsh standard- I see the need for boosterism, but I also appreciate a review that doesn’t give points for trying. I’m also fully with him that the best sushi Prince George (and possibly Canada) has ever seen was the now-defunct Suzuran- it remains the standard to which I hold all other raw-fish makers to.
I had another great conversation with Chris about his findings this morning. You can listen to it below:
Chris Dias on Daybreak North, February 25 2014
The list so far:
BEST FRONT OF HOUSE
BEST PLATING
BEST CHINESE
BEST ETHNIC
BEST JAPANESE
BEST BISTRO
BEST BRUNCH
BEST PUB
BEST DÉCOR
BEST NIGHTLIFE
Still to come:
BEST RESTAURANT
 

Filed under: links, Prince George