Dear readers: Before we begin, I want to say that I hope everyone out there is safe during this uncertain time of hurricane Irene.  Please take care and be well!

     I turned 32 years old last wednesday, and I have been doing some quiet contemplation about my life: how far I have come, how great the past year has been, and what in the world will the future hold in store for me. Ideally, I’d like to sit here at my computer and explain to all of you how being a food critic and pursuing a career in the field of social work are very connected… Maybe they are, I’m not sure, but the connection is not an obvious one. I plan to be involved in both, hopefully for many years to come, but at this point in my thinking a question popped into my head: When and how did I start to become interested in being a food critic? Granted, several people have asked me this in the past, and I am normally able to explain this in a fairly simple manner. However, today I wanted to know for myself: at what exact point in time did I start feeling this way about writing reviews about restaurants. After some research, I determined that it was somewhere around Sunday, January 11, 2009, when I posted my first review (when I used to write on blogspot.com). The following is the exact copy of my first food critique of a pizzeria called Lucali’s. Before you read the next section, I just want to say: I feel that I am in a really great place in my life right now and I am very thankful for my family, friends, and all of you who read and comment on the blog One last thing: I have a really exciting review coming up soon about one of the highest rated Italian restaurants in New York City. (Spoiler alert: I dined in this restaurant’s second location which is in Atlantic City; despite being located in a different city, the ratings from Zagat are the same.) And now, for your featured presentation:

First food critic review: Lucali’s

Hi everybody, well it occurred to me today that it might be a good idea to start posting food critic reviews for the restaurants where I have had excellent meals. Guess what? I have one for you today. Now, I am an aspiring food critic, so this might not necessarily sound professional yet.

Lucali’s
573 Henry St.
Brooklyn, NY
Rating: 4.25 stars (out of 5)

I traveled through the snow to try Lucali’s with four of my friends last night. I was initially worried because of all the hype regarding this restaurant; after all it was the number one pizza restaurant in this year’s Zagat survey with a rating of 27/30. However, Lucali’s did not disappoint. The ambiance was of a much higher quality than in most pizza establishments. Our waitress was quite helpful and she explained our choices in terms of pizza and toppings. I am personally a fan of mushroom pizza, and when it arrived at our table, a mere 25 minutes later, I was impressed. It started out with a thin crust, and very light as far as pizza is concerned. The crust was extremely crispy and melts in your mouth. Lucali’s uses a very nice mix of cheese on the pizza which tasted fresh and flavorful. In addition, the sauce had a great flavor with just the right amount of spices and tomatoes. Overall, I really enjoyed this experience. I have been to a few of the city’s best pizza restaurants, and this is comparable with any of them. I had a great time and I would really like to return.
Dan