Charles Feruzza: The reason why The Pitch Magazine still exists

Face it, if it weren't for Charles Feruzza and his restaurant reviews and excellent, on-point, precise, fun--and frequently even funny--writing, The Pitch wouldn't still be here.

But let's go back a little bit.

First, let's just make the point that needs to be made about Charles himself.

There is no other person in this city writing or making poignant, intelligent information and opinion on restaurants and dining out that is worth seeing, hearing or reading.

No one.

It certainly isn't happening on television.  No way. Those suckups wouldn't want to run the risk of alienating one business in town by putting out true, critical reviews of a restaurant.  They're both too cowardly and desperate, both, to put out the truth about a crappy restaurant.

The Star is the same way.  Their reviews of restaurants, if you can call them that, are far too tame and tepid.  I've had green tea that was stronger than their columns.

So it's Charles and Charles alone.

Sure, there are occasional good front page articles that are worth reading and you do need it for the music and some entertainment scene but week in, week out, what can you count on to be good and worth reading and searching out?

It's Charles' columns, Cafe' and "fat city".

You want current, relevant, timely information on a restaurant in this town?

As they said for the movie years ago, "Who you gonna' call?"

You want history on the restaurant business in town, even though he isn't even originally from here?  (How DOES he find all that stuff out, anyway?).

It's Charles.

And it's only Charles.

And this week in the Pitch?

Charles knocks it out of the ballpark.

Have you seen this week's column?

Yow.

He does us all a service this week.

His column is about creating his "Perfect Plaza", with all local restaurants filling all the slots of the chain spaces.

Here, Charles is doing what so many of us have maybe thought about or toyed with.

Basically, we'd all like our Plaza back and with all local restaurants--only the best--in the spots now occupied by chain restaurants you can find in every city in the country that is of any size.

It ain't gonna' happen, to be crude but hey, we can have our fun.  We can try to create our perfect restaurant world, if even in our heads or in conversation or, as here, on paper.

It's what the big thinkers of the past used to do, only with government and civilizations.

This is a lot more fun.

So if you haven't seen this article, go.  Go now.  Go to the nearest red Pitch Magazine dispenser, reach in and pick up your STILL FREE newspaper and check out Charles' article.  (You can also go below and click on the link).

It's a helluva' lot of fun.

One more, additional, suggestion for Highwoods Properties--the company we love to kick--before we close.  My own idea, this one architectural, as a way to make it my own "Perfect Plaza":  For the love of God, people, make a policy that from now on, whenever a building is to be redone on the outside, it HAS to be done in a mediterranean, Spanish style so it fits the Plaza once more.  As an example, that Tivol facade is ghastly.  Put that crap in a mall or a strip center somewhere, but not on the Plaza.  Sure, the damage has been done and I'll admit, it was expensive damage but it's God-awful and needs to be stripped out.  And don't anyone say it can't be done.  The Lockton Companies did it.  It sure wasn't done for Saks Fifth Avenue, that's for sure.  That was a huge, disgusting abomination.  And the thing is, if this were done, eventually all that expense would pay for itself BIG TIME and be well worth the investment because they could continue asking the obscene amounts for rent they do.

Glad you asked.


Enjoy your Sunday, y'all.

Links:  http://www.pitch.com/2011-04-14/restaurants/country-club-plaza-chain-and-local-restaurants/
http://www.pitch.com/

Last note:  Truth in media or advertising or whatever you want to call it/disclaimer:  I met Charles once.  He took me to a restaurant and we ate on The Pitch.  It was last year.  That's it.  I'm not saying this for any other reason but to get "truth" out there and give credit where it's due.