The 12-year-old restaurant critic

Unlike the Kansas City Star’s late restaurant critic Lauren Chapin, who often brought her two young daughters to dine with her on her restaurant excursions, I rarely take children to eat with me. For one thing, I don’t have children. And, I have to confess, I prefer not dining with small children. As a waiter, I would beg and cajole a hostess not to put a family with lots of little tots in my station; I just didn’t have the patience required for that daunting task.

But I do have friends with children and sometimes, for one reason or another, the kids come along with us to eat. If the young person is a teen or pre-teen, it’s a fair trade-out, because they have bluntly candid opinions that are often refreshingly accurate.

But what about a 12-year-old who is actually reviewing restaurants? This story from men.style.com reveals “the most famous restaurant reviewer in America.” He can’t drive yet, but, damn it, the kid knows his hummus.