Re: Next Step: Titan Reporter Application

It can be difficult to recognize the absence of something until that particular something is no longer absent; thus it was that I had no idea that I'd never eaten Venezuelan cuisine until I suddenly found myself eating it.

Even New York, that blender-set-on-puree of international gastronomy, has very little to offer in the way of Venezuelan fare, which seems like an oversight in a city where one can even have Ukrainian delivered to one's home if one has a morbid sense of humor. And so it's a fine thing that Caracas Arepa Bar has stepped in to rectify the situation.

Filled to the brim with hipsters on a Monday night, the budding chain's Williamsburg location managed to give the impression of a restaurant that will still be around in two years, which is certainly a fine impression for a restaurant to give. Inevitably for this neck of the woods, esoteric touches abound, with half of the wall space made up of some pleasantly indescribable wood projections. The effect is interesting and urban-cutesy, but not to such an extent that it would irritate anyone with a cynical sense of aesthetics.

Caracas specializes in the humble arepa, a corn-flour hybrid which itself is best compared to a pita pocket - and the fact that it's not best compared to a tortilla or some other such ubiquitous south-of-the-border staple thing should tell you that we're dealing with something of greater significance than a one-off variant on Mexican food, which is more than can be said for the average Guatemalan joint.

Asked which of the resident arepas would be most representative of a genuine Venezuelan snacking session, the waiter suggested the De Pabellon, a compilation of shredded beef, black beans, white salty cheese and sweet plantains. I was dubious (there's something to be said for one-off variants of Mexican food, after all), but it turned out to be a very fine dish, and not just something one orders out of some misguided urge to impress a date, which is to say that I would happily eat it again even if no one were looking.

We moved on to the "100% Queso platter," which consisted of four arepas filled with various sorts of flaky, uncooked cheeses and nothing else. It was an unfortunate choice, and felt less like something for which one ought to pay 18 dollars and more like something that a drunken young male concocts in his kitchen at four in the morning because he lacks any other options. Even my date - a generally sober young lady who keeps her kitchen well-stocked - made this connection independently of me.

Still, the queso debacle shouldn't turn one off of Caracas; the De Pabellon is far more representative of Venezuelan fare in general and the restaurant's offerings in particular, and the majority of the dishes are such that one can't help but describe them as "intriguing" even if one feels silly using that term to describe food.

Caracas Arepa Bar effectively fills New York's noticeable Venezuelan void by way of an authentic range of arepas, flour-corn bread pockets filled with such South American staples as shredded beef, white fish, and fried plantains. The restaurant further caters to its hipster-heavy clientèle by way of an artistic interior.

On Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 8:19 PM, Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com> wrote:

Susannah-

Thanks for getting back to me. I'll plan on getting you a review of Caracas by Tuesday.

Thanks again,

Barrett Brown
Brooklyn, NY
512-560-2302

On Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 5:56 PM, Susannah Magrane <susannah@titanstartup.com> wrote:

Hi Barrett,

Happy New Year!

Thank you for your interest in our Staff Reporter position at Titan.

Your writing samples, education, and resume have all shown that you are among our most qualified candidates. We trust that you are a gifted and capable writer.

In order to better assess how your unique writing style will fit with our product, we ask that you complete a restaurant review.

We ask this in lieu of a preliminary interview, and consider it to be the most important part of our application process.

Please be assured that any writing you submit to us will only be used as a means to assess your skill as a reporter. We will not publish this writing assignment.

The writing assignment is attached and included below.

I hope you will continue the application process by completing the assignment.

Please note the 4 day deadline. Should you decide to continue we expect to receive your work by 6pm this Tuesday, January 13.

If you have any questions or concerns with meeting this deadline, please let me know.

Again, your application thus far ranks you among our most qualified candidates and we hope to meet you in person.

All my best,

Susannah

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The Assignment

Titan Travel is dedicated to making it easy to plan a vacation. Staff Reporters are central to this mission. We rely on them to produce brilliant reviews that surpass everything else on the market.

A strong Titan review should be all of the following:

·         Clear (specificity is a must)

·         Applicable to a broad audience

·         Compelling (humor is always a plus)

·         Insightful

·         Concise (think density of language, not word-count)

·         Able to answer the question: Do I want to go there?

Because well-written reviews are essential to our product, we ask that you complete a restaurant review. Please visit and review one of the following NYC restaurants:

·         Loreley (Lower East Side)

·         Tia Pol (Chelsea)

·         BLT Burger (West Village)

·         Pio Pio (Jackson Hts.)

·         Hummus Place (East Village)

·         Caracas (Williamsburg)

We do not expect you to order 6 courses from the menu, but we ask that you sample some of the food (perhaps just an appetizer) or just grab a drink. The purpose of this exercise is to understand how you describe and evaluate an experience we're less concerned about your ability to critique cuisine. (Generally speaking, we don't have any interest in food critics. The primary purpose of the assignment is to see how well you can discuss setting, scene, vibe, décor, etc. while keeping the narrative relevant and engaging.)

The Written Review

Prepare a written assessment of the restaurant as a whole (remember, a restaurant is more than just food). The review consists of two distinct sections:

1)      The Experience

2)      The Bottom Line

The experience is a thorough account of what the place is really like. We want you to interpret this section broadly, but bear in mind that any information included should be of some relevance to a prospective user a tourist trying to figure out where to eat. Feel free to discuss atmosphere, décor, clientele, service, food, or anything else you feel is relevant to a potential user's experience at the given restaurant. Word count: 200-500 (this is intentionally wide open).

The Bottom Line is an objective critique of the restaurant as a whole. Ultimately, it should answer two questions: 1) What is this place? 2) Why should I go there? Word count: 40-50 (firm).

Note that "The Experience" and "The Bottom Line" should each stand on their own as two independent sections. (Assume that a potential user may read one section, but not the other.)

The Deadline

Within 4 days, please produce the aforementioned review and return it to Susannah Magrane at susannah@titanstartup.com. If you have any questions about the assignment or concerns about completing it within 4 days, please contact Susannah immediately.

We will review all reviews shortly after receipt. If we are pleased with your writing and find it in-line with our needs, we will contact you for an in-person interview.

Again, please note that these reviews are integral to our application process only, and are not subject to publication.

*****************

Susannah Magrane

Titan Media and Technology Corp.

New York, New York

susannah@titanstartup.com