For all the democratic aggregators, there seems to be a inflection point beyond which they stop being as useful. In their earliest days, the primary user base

For all the democratic aggregators, there seems to be a inflection point beyond which they stop being as useful. In their earliest days, the primary user base is made of enthusiasts. They bring opinions and experiences not available through mainstream critics but with an eye for quality. At some point, the places being reviewed realize how important the rankings are. They start building things specifically to improve their position on these rankings and you reach a trend-driven, inoffensive mid-market nothingness in the app and in the place itself. The answer to this problem has always been the same - find and follow a set of critics that you like - keep an eye out for popular food trends and apply a negative bias towards restaurants nakedly following it - start understanding the texture of neighborhoods and the chefs within them: if Alex Stupak opens a new place in Lower Manhattan for example, it would be an automatic stop for me.