A Foodie’s Real Opinion of Yelp

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

Before I get started here, I want you to know that I am an avid Yelp user. I like to check out some opinions about a restaurant before I head in (many times, not all the time) and I read both positive and negative reviews. That being said, I never rely 100 percent on those reviewsmy opinion of Yelp because there are just too many unknown details. Plus, not for nothing, but some people are just outrageously picky and ignorant about how a restaurant really works. Anyway, I’ve had several discussions on this topic lately so I want to touch on it a bit today. Part of me wants to say “Screw Yelp, never use it,” but the realistic part of me has settled on “Go ahead and use Yelp, but make sure you’re being smart about it.”Continue Reading

Local Love and More Wedding Planning

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

I apologize if I’m going a little over board with the wedding planning posts but at least you all know exactly where my head is! good tidingsToday’s post is actually kind of a combination of wedding planning and local business love so give me some credit, okay? Over the holidays I went into detail about M&D’s next door neighbor, Good Tidings. With quality gifts and unique finds, it’s a great one-stop shop for either a gift for someone else or a personal accessory. And now, it’s also a great resource for brides!Continue Reading