The SD CRA majorly jumped the shark in 2003 when they named Chez Loma as the best French restaurant. That was my last attendance at the awards banquet even though I continue to be in the business. Chez Loma??—come on now!! Did the majority of the members REALLY vote for that? An honest show of hands please, who has actually eaten there? I have and I found it to be pleasant but who actually believes that it could have garnered enough votes to beat out every other French restaurant in town.

I smell a ratatouille.

I completely agree with Catt. The members of the CRA work tirelessly, without pay in most cases, to make running a restaurant a more profitable, efficient, and overall more desirable occupation and investment. This benefits anyone that chooses this line of work. It also helps to ensure that great restaurants are able to survive in the harsh economic climate of the restaurant industry. Without the efforts of the CRA, many small privately owned restaurants that can’t afford membership would go under due to costs that would skyrocket out of control in all areas, particularly labor and taxation laws related to the industry.

But that’s not really the point. The CRA, like any organization, has the right to issue awards and publicly state its opinions. Especially in regards to the very thing it exists to support and sustain: its members!!! What about the awards issued by any number of other organizations around town? Almost every local publication I know favors its own advertisers when issuing “Best Of San Diego” titles.

As a connoisseur of delicious food of all varieties, and a devoted employee of a CRA member, I have never relied on Gold Medallion awards to decide where to eat. I instead prefer to use resources such as Zagat, chowhound, yelp.com, and other reviews by anonymous diners paying full price.

There is a clear purpose behind the CRA. Check out their website if you want to see the truth, that it’s really not just a bunch of good ol’ boys patting each other on the back over whiskey and cigars. http://www.calrest.org/go/CRA/

But yes, I agree, there are easily ten or twenty better burger joints than In-n-Out. Whatever…

Regarding your comment “if you don’t vote, maybe you shouldn’t complain” can persons that are not restaurant owners, vendors and such… (like the author of the article and me) join?–I am too lazy to do the research at the moment–forgive me.

Because as a person who is in the industry (not an owner so I have no award to win) and more importantly a consumer I certainly have opinions. I would love to know that an intelligent list of great choices will be compiled for my comparison by industry insiders. I do find the industry awards in this town generally hovering somewhere between a disappointment and a joke but not nearly as disappointing as “reader’s awards” can be–could IHOP and Denny’s really be the top breakfast restaurants? Perhaps membership voting is not such a bad idea.

But thank God we are saved from such amateurish tragedies by knowing that we have David Nelson to let us know that George’s California Modern (it was George’s at the Cove just months ago) is somehow his pick for the “Best New Restaurant of the Year” even though it is the same location, same owners and essentially the same menu. Not knocking George’s, of course, which deserves accolades just wondering if Mr. Nelson really meant to give an award for “Best New Upholstery of the Year”.

Members–what do you think?

Perhaps those who feel shut out of the CRA awards should consider joining the organization, and voting. The San Diego group raises a lot of money, through membership fees – and the Gold Medallion event – which is used to work at protecting the interests and promoting the business’ of restaurant owners of all sizes. Non-members ride along, benefiting from the local chapter’s tireless efforts, without contributing the vast amount of time and/or dollars that board and other members do.

Some restaurateurs do help out, but don’t take advantage of the chance for recognition. They join the CRA, but don’t return their ballots during awards time. As the saying goes: you can’t win if you don’t play. Whether it’s for president or local restaurant awards, if you don’t vote, maybe you shouldn’t complain.

Full disclosure: I’m an active member of the CRA, though I’m not currently a restaurant owner. I know how hard those folks work, and how delighted they are to welcome “new blood” that wants to pitch in to benefit the local industry. Instead of fighting them, how about joining them?