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Show 24, 1980. THE HERALD. Provo, Utah—Page 29 Speaks to Food Chapter S & M Toy Al Church Reviews Restaurants By CHARLENE WINTERS Herald Staff Reporter Al Church has had his nose pinched at a restaurant by an employee who exclaimed his schnozz looked Jewish. He has had spousescall him in the middleof the night telling him whata terrible thing he had doneto his (or her) mate. Church is a restaurantcritic. His reviews appear in Utah Holiday Magazine, and he is featured on PM Magazine,Utah, a television program on channel two. As guest speaker of the Utah Valley Branch of International Food Service Executives Association Tuesday, he explained his food background andhis criteria for reviewing. The association also named a Restauranteur of the Year, Monte Farrer, food director at Sundance Other finalists were Jimbas and Jedediahs Church spent Sundays during his childhood playing in the kitchen of his Hungarian grandparents’ restaurant. He recalls playing football with cabbage and plowing his fingers through his grand: mother’s strudels. “Hagar the Horrible was an angel compared to meand mybrother,’’ he explained. Church reads books about foods, reads food reviewsin other regional magazines and compares Utah diningto his experiences and guides he reads from other cities. He eats out frequently; so often, that a school hot lunch sometimes looks very iting. . “Tm not sure there is such an animal as a restaurant critic,” he says. He defines himself as a peasant who likes simple things (i.e., goulash around a gypsy’s fire lamenting lost love), and einphasizes good dining experiences. je has established five criteria when reviewing restaurante Thefirst element is atmosphere. He looks for comfortable settings that are not too casual, such as one restaurant where cabbages were put next to carburators. He also dislikes “overdone”’ restaurants “I can forgive atmosphere if the food is really good,” he commented. pretentious without being overly familiar Price is a third item he evaluates. Though he is willing to pay for a good meal, he doesn't want to pay “There are people with price paranoia, though he said, explaining that some patrons agonize between the difference of 75 cents and a dollar Heevaluates the food item by item, examining sight, smell, texture and taste. He doesn't take notes while dining, but takes a menu. Whenhe gets out of bed the next morning, he asks himself if anything was memorable. ( ie spoke fondly of a horseradish sauce on artichoke hearts he ate in sensory awareness,” he added A final evaluation he calls “cosmic chen: loosely defined as intangibles such as the to eating experience, intuition and pre-disposition to a good dining experience He spoke optimistically 2f Utah restaurants by noting in 10 years, a] ACRIFICE eating out in the state has changed and improved for the better “I have friends who come from the East who don't expect as good an experience or such diver sity as they have found here,” he said 1968) Service is a second criteria. He has had so much water spilled on him by over eager restaurant employees that he frequently wants to turn his glass upside down or wear an Eastern slicker rainCoat. As part of the service, he wants the workers to be informed. “When I ask whatis good that night, I don’t want them to say ‘everything,” he explained. “I want a serious answer.” He enjoys Westerndiningthatis friendly and un- Outlet & Gift 46 W. 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