The fact that there are 200 of us, rather than just one or two, makes it marginally less mad. But this is the only way we know how to write a restaurant guide. A vivid picture of Italy emerges from the process. If we look at a chart of this year's scores, we find Fulvio Pierangelini and his Gambero Rosso in San Vincenzo as the best chef and best restaurant. Those two facts are not contradictory but a result of our scoring methods.
T here are many ways to comment on restaurants.
There are those critics who pay a lot of attention to the toilets. Others drop a napkin on the floor to see who picks it up and when. Then there are people like us who not only make judgments, but also interact with Italian chefs. S ince our guide tells our readers where to go and eat, we make our decisions by putting ourselves in our readers' shoes. We travel anonymously and pay for our meals, but with more experience and expertise than the ordinary restaurant-goer.