The change is meant to make reviews more transparent and more ethical. It gives readers and restaurants actual humans they can go to with grievances, queries, praise and condemnation. Those things should go both ways. It's only fair. No other aspect of our review process is changing. Here's how we operate: Reviews are never scheduled We visit restaurants unannounced, meaning we make reservations, when required, under other names. We don't give restaurants time to "prepare" for our arrival. A restaurant can request a review, but we are not required to give one. Reviews are written at the sole discretion of the critics. Our reviews are not influenced by advertising or any relationship a restaurant may have with our staff.