What makes you a restaurant expert?
Passion and a lot of due diligence. I dine out six nights a week. I've eaten my way around the five boroughs hundreds of times. Eating out is like any other job. It's my responsibility to try everything, so I can guide readers in the right direction and steer them away from disappointments — to point out chef's strengths and weaknesses. I'll try anything, but I'm never afraid to say when I don't like something, even if everyone else is raving about it. I don't want my readers to waste their time or money. Most importantly, I don't over-intellectualize food. I'm a different kind of food writer. I'm an eater. At the end of the day, it comes down to what tastes good, not the technique or the pedigree of the chef. It doesn't have to be haute or overworked. It has to be memorable, linger in your memory for days or years to come. I make it my job to find those dishes and the talented chefs who create them.

When did you decide you wanted to launch this business?
I launched restaurantgirl.com five years ago and it grew organically and quickly. Most people don't realize they really can do what they love. Throw yourself into your passion — think of yourself as a professional student. There's always more to learn, something new to discover. Food is a universal language we all speak. Ask someone about their favorite restaurant or dish and their face lights up. People love to debate about the best hamburger, pasta, pizza, ice cream, wine, or cocktail.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
Childhood. My mom used to say I was a hot and sour soup snob at the age of five. By the age of ten, I was offering up my unsolicited opinion to strangers on what to order and where to go for dinner. Someone would stop us for directions and I'd send them in the opposite direction to my favorite spot.

If you didn't create Restaurant Girl, where would you be?
I'd probably be a psychiatrist, but who knows. These days, I think about owning my own vineyard with a farm and a restaurant on the property where we'd serve all the wines and produce straight from the garden.

Who/what has shaped your love of food the most over the years?
My family. We weren't brought up on haute cuisine. But we were raised to never settle for anything but the best, whether it was the best coffee, homemade ravioli, or panna cotta. My mother fed us nothing but freshly baked bread or pastries. My parent's idea of eating out was driving three hours away for the best lobster roll or porterhouse or dim sum. Will travel for food was our family motto.

What makes restaurantgirl.com different from other culinary websites?
There are hundreds of food sites with lots of great information, so I embrace my own voice, my own style, and tastes. There's a new generation of diners that are just as excited about food as I am. That's who I'm targeting. I guide diners through the experience. I give them a sense of vibe and occasion. You don't want to take a blind date to a somber restaurant and you don't want to meet your girlfriend's parents somewhere you can't hear yourself eat. I navigate the menu for readers, suggesting dishes not to miss and dishes to avoid. I want to give readers someone to relate to, which is why I don't dine out in disguises. I don't give a restaurant a heads that I'm coming, but once you're there, they're not changing the menu or bringing in better produce. If it's the chef's night off, he's not racing down to the restaurant. Every time I visit a restaurant I go with an open mind and empty stomach.

Have you always been interested in starting your own business?
I've always been a free spirit, an individual. I like to invent things, to find talent and create teams with distinct strengths.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Passion and a willingness to try anything once. I encourage everyone to eat outside their comfort zone. You have to be insatiable and fearless in the dining room. It's a Restaurant Girl requirement.

What qualities do you look for when hiring writers for your site?
I look for writers and researchers hungry to discover new chefs, ingredients and new cuisines. It's great to be a diligent worker, but in order to succeed, you need to dream about food and read menus and reviews every chance you get. I also seek out individuals with different interests or specialties. One of my colleagues is preoccupied with Asian pastries, another, creative comfort foods. Everyone has their own interests or unique specialties they bring to the table.

What is your beverage of choice?
That's like picking a favorite restaurant. I need more parameters. It depends on what I'm eating, the season, the cuisine. I adore rosés in summertime, especially wines from the North Fork and Wolffer Vineyard. I'm knee deep in Gruner Veltliner, Verdicchio, and Albariño. I'm big on unadulterated spirits, everything from whiskey to tequila to mescal right now. There's tons of phenomenal tequilas available right now.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
There are a lot of exciting things happening in food. We're moving away from the Absinthe trend and toward mezcal as well as artisanal tequilas. We've moved away from traditional molecular gastronomy. Instead, chefs are seizing upon the purity and simplicity of ingredients. They'll be amping up the flavors, making wonderfully intense stocks from fennel stock, fennel fronds, fennel juice, and fennel pure. Last year was a pretty patriotic year where food was concerned. We embraced local produce, beers, wines, and cheeses. Buttermilk Channel's a perfect example. Doug Crowell was thinking seriously about what neighborhood means when he created the menu. There's 15 Brooklyn beers, breads, bratwurst, ice cream, cider, and mozzarella on the menu. I don't think that trend will go away anytime soon, but I do think we'll explore other local cuisines from all over the world — ethnic food from Peru and Korea.

Do you always eat at restaurants solely on your site?
Not at all. I'm up for anything, especially new things. I volunteer my taste buds, so readers don't have to waste their time on disappointing dishes or restaurants. Sometimes, I choose not to write about the disappointments and focus on the delicious discoveries. I do think it's important to cover relevant openings or chefs that disappoint so foodies can opt out on the sub-par eateries and guide them to the great or unusual ones. I love to discover young, creative chefs doing new and exciting things — the next Jean Georges or Daniel Boulud or Mario Batali.

Do you have any future plans for Restaurant Girl?
I do. People are always asking me or writing me for suggestions in cities other than New York, everywhere from Boston to Dubai. I'd love to expand into other major cities, like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago. Eventually, I'd love to take Restaurant Girl global, so I could guide readers to the best restaurants anywhere in the world.

What was the most challenging when first starting this Web site?
Getting eyes on your site. But the virtual highway is a wonderfully powerful medium. You have to take sides and strong opinions. Above all, embrace what you love. Me, I love dining out.

What is your best tip for those dining out in New York City?
Do a little homework before you commit to a restaurant. There are so many wonderful chefs and restaurants in the city to waste your time on a mediocre meal. Don't fall into a restaurant rut. Try something new as often as possible and expand your culinary repertoire. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd crave uni crowned with a raw quail egg or Malaysian food, but I do now. If I hadn't stepped outside my comfort zone, I'd be eating the same safe dishes. You'll be surprised how many things you start craving.

Do you ever eat at home?
I usually take one day of rest and cook something simple or order sushi or in. But, I love dining out more than anything. Some people read romance novels or science fiction in their spare time. I read menus and reviews. Long before I ever imagined a career in food, I made it my job to visit every respectable restaurant in my Zagat guide. I'd eat at a different restaurant almost every night of the week. Every night, I ate at a different restaurant and sample as many dishes as I possibly could, then write my own review next to theirs.