The dish on “7”

The much-anticipated North Division Chinese restaurant smackdown anchored this week’s “7”, which Steve Smith praised as a particularly strong issue.

The criticism of some of the Chinese food offerings is a bit harsher than is typically found in our restaurant reviews. Whereas bigger papers might routinely torpedo mediocre eateries, Smith said we employ a “community standard” in our reviews. “We don’t pretend that we’re gourmands of New York or San Francisco,” he said.

On a related note, Smith said we’re trying to make the Friday IN Life cover a counterpoint to “7”, focusing on stories or events for readers who don’t find “7” particularly appealing. The 50 Cent centerpiece may not have been the best way to accomplish that, he said.