Criticizing the critics

Crazee Review

My name is Peter. I’m one of the owners of Crazee Burger in North Park and in Old Town. We recently got reviewed by one of your writers, Ian Anderson (“Still Crazee after All These Years,” Feast!)

I was kind of annoyed with the review. It seemed very unprofessional. It just really wasn’t a good review, in my opinion. It was very negative all around. I’ve looked at his last couple reviews of different places and he has the same kind of story with all of them. He’s just a very negative person, which, as a business owner is very frustrating.

• Peter
• via voicemail

Why Such Hatred?

I, Matt Shlemon, owner of Abbey’s BBQ, felt compelled to write to you after many comments to your food critic, Ian Pike, to rectify his false and vicious attack against our 32-year-old establishment (“All Things Barbecue,” Feast!). He was not fair, nor was he factual about our cooking methods where he mimics and pokes fun of us, and accentuates the point to the readers of not soliciting Abbey’s BBQ.

Why? Why on earth such hatred towards an establishment unless there exists some form of racism towards this same ownership who established the same Abbey’s BBQ #1 on Clairemont that Mr. Ian Pike adores and nurtures?

I offered to meet with him or to respond back to us, but to no avail, except that he continued his sarcasm.

Thank you and God bless!

• Matt Shlemon
• via email

Talk about Angst

Diva’s angst (Diary of a Diva, “Watch the Damn Movie”) re the possibility of people talking while watching a movie at a friend’s house struck a major chord in me.

Last weekend we invited friends to a screening of the Chilean film, Gloria, in our home theater. The film was geared to the demographic of all of us except one guest, and I was agonizing in advance about his reaction to the film.

Nobody talked during the screening except my husband, who did an uncharacteristic x-rated running commentary during the film’s portrayal of sexual encounters. Because we sat at opposite ends of the room, there was no way I could elbow him or kick him in the shins to shut up. Talk about angst, Barbarella!

• Sue Garson
• Clairemont