About #eatthatloud
“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We
thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more
meaningful than our criticism designating it so."
Anton Ego - from the movie Ratatouille
First things first, #eatthatloud is primarily my diary for restaurants and locations where I eat. Or a blog. Whatever you wanna call it. I keep it as a reminder for myself and so that I don't have to give out restaurant tips to everyone on a request basis. This way I can just refer to this page.
Why would you eat something loud?
The name came together a little differently. My original name is Ludwig. There is a nickname version Ludi which dates back to my childhood days and I do not get called very often. Later when I
started to work at a bar in Düsseldorf my former manager said, she didn't like Ludwig as it didn't suit me. I didn't resist. She called me Lou. The mix of both became my "pseudonym" Lou
D.
When I had to find an Instagram handle I wanted to go for singitloud which was already taken, so it eventually became singthatloud which was, obviously, playing on the visual misread Lou D. and
loud.
Looking for hashtags to abuse it became drinkthatloud and eatthatloud. While the singing can also be referred to the volume, in the other two cases it is only to be read as Drink/Eat that Lou D.
tl;dr (too long; didn't read)
Competencies
I'm an eater. I love eating. But first and foremost I am an epicure, a foodie, a gourmet and even a gourmand. I love good food. And I hate bad food as much as I love good food. Simple as that. For the past 15 years I have been at restaurants a lot and I have eaten a lot and I've been blogging about it for since 2009 but I have no formal education in cooking whatsoever.
Why?
The internet is full of hypocritical "blogs" that are in the end just webpages filled with advertisements. What you get is not an honest opinion or reviews but paid content where everything is pink and good. I will try to refrain from bashing small businesses as I don't need to pound on bad restaurants that can barely survive. So, yes you will find a lot of positive reviews here, too. But rest assured that the collection of restaurants you will find here is hand-picked and that my integrity is uncompromised.
I want to make people eat better food and drink better wine. Does it always have to be expensive? A Michelin star? Hell no!
Let quality lead the way and it does not necessarily have to be elite or unaffordable. It will probably be pricier than McDonald's but it won't kill you right from the get go.
How?
independent
What's that supposed to mean?
- I pay for my own food. If not, I will indicate it
- I sure as hell don't blackmail any owner, chef or manager into giving me freebies
- I don't take assignments from anyone
Honest
What you will read on this blog is my straight opinion. While I will try to refrain from bashing, I will say what I think.
I will note:
- if chefs/owners/managers are friends
- free courses were received
- what I liked and also what I did NOT like
There will not be:
- photo shooting sessions, all pictures are taken with my iPhone
- paid opinions
- paid fake reviews
However I will reserve the right to accept paid partnerships from restaurants that I approve of but also indicate it. I love to eat and I enjoy company. I rarely take notes and make more than two photos of dish. If the lighting is bad, so be it. I will not spend hours in processing them afterwards but will try to salvage what I can.
Critical
Everything you will find on this blog is highly subjective. I will not even try to presume that I know it all or that I could rate and review anything better than the Michelin or the testers over at the Gault Millau or any other professional publication for that matter.
However I am very critical when it comes to food and I believe cooking with fresh ingredients and holding up a standard should be in every restauranteur's inner most interest. I am a consultant by nature and I will find that hair in the soup.
If you disagree on a regular basis then you should probably be looking elsewhere for tips and suggestions as we don't seem to think or taste alike.
What?
Restaurants, bars, Imbiss, Street Food, Trucks, Cafés, whatever. If it's food or drinks and it's supposed to be good, I will try it and I will review it. My focus for now will be on cuisine in and around Düsseldorf.
Stay tuned as this whole blog will be a work in progress at all times, so please excuse if you will find yourself a little confused at times or my writing style or the structure changes. I will find my style eventually.
