Attention, Ottawa restaurant lovers: The Citizen has a new eBook out (for $3.99), called “Ottawa Restaurants.” Nothing wrong with that: Ottawa diners deserve a good e-guide collection of restaurant reviews. What’s wrong, and hence this cautionary note, is for a news organization to publish, presumably as a useful tool to its readers, restaurant reports that are out of date.
Please be aware: Michael Blackie is no longer executive chef at Le Café; Matthew Carmichael is not at Sidedoor, Social or Restaurant Eighteen; Steve Wall is long gone from town Restaurant; Michael Hay moved from The Courtyard to Back Lane Café last summer; Dirk McCabe has gone to Calgary and chef Katie Brown is now in charge of Beckta Dining and Wine. There may be other factual errors; I haven’t had time to fine-tooth comb the entire book.
I’d be less concerned if my name weren’t attached to three quarters of the reviews in this e-Guide. And I’d be deeply concerned if it were construed that I was profiting from their re-publication all these months/years later. I’m not. So please, let the record show, I stopped writing for The Citizen in March, 2012. Some of the 60-plus DesBrisay reviews in the Citizen’s new guide are from 2009, others are from 2010, and many of these contain information that is now incorrect. I was not asked to update any of the reviews, nor, in fact, was I consulted at all during their compilation. This is the Citizen’s right, apparently, as it owns my freelance copy, but it doesn’t make it right for you, the reader.
All guidebooks – even electronic ones – become ‘dated’ eventually. This one was dated from the get-go. Caveat emptor.
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