First Look: The Porcine Team Nails the Upstairs-Downstairs Thing With L’Avant Cave. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Biased language

Use of value-laden, promotional or subjective terms presented as if they were neutral facts.

Examples include: - “the exceptional French bistro upstairs that Fitzgerald owns with chef Nik Hill.” - “Hill’s snacks are objectively outstanding.” - “Order a few of the pretty things and they’ll arrive as a platter of ocean treasures.” - “Amazing product, really good team – which is what you want.” These phrases go beyond neutral description and implicitly promote the venue, presenting subjective judgments as if they were factual.

4 suggestions

Replace “the exceptional French bistro upstairs” with a neutral description, e.g. “the French bistro upstairs” or “the well-regarded French bistro upstairs, Porcine, which has received positive reviews from diners and critics.”

Change “Hill’s snacks are objectively outstanding” to “Hill’s snacks have been described as outstanding by the team” or “Hill’s snacks are designed to be a highlight of the menu.”

Replace “a platter of ocean treasures” with a neutral phrase such as “a shared seafood platter” or “a platter of assorted seafood items.”

Change “Amazing product, really good team – which is what you want” to “Fitzgerald says the focus is on product quality and a strong team” and, if available, add independent evidence (e.g. awards, reviews) instead of pure praise.

Appeal to authority / self-endorsement

Relying on the statements of the owners/creators as primary evidence of quality or value, without independent corroboration.

The article heavily quotes Fitzgerald describing the venue and its quality: - “We’re just sticking to what we know best,” Fitzgerald says. “Serving people, having a good time, keeping chill. Amazing product, really good team – which is what you want.” - “The cellar’s stocked with local, French and Jura drops, all from winemakers ‘that look after the land without it being crazy wild wine,’ Fitzgerald says.” These quotes are presented without any external verification or contrasting views, so the reader is asked to accept the owners’ claims at face value.

3 suggestions

Add independent context such as: “The bistro has previously been praised by [publication/guide] for its wine list and snacks,” or “Customer reviews frequently highlight the quality of the snacks and wine selection.”

Clarify that these are the owners’ perspectives, e.g. “Fitzgerald describes the product as ‘amazing’ and the team as ‘really good’,” without implying these are established facts.

Include at least one external or neutral perspective (e.g. a brief mention of mixed or varied customer preferences) to balance the owners’ self-assessment.

Oversimplification / Omission of key information

Presenting only positive aspects and omitting any potential downsides, limitations, or alternative views, which can create an unbalanced impression.

The article exclusively highlights positive elements: refreshed interiors, creative touches, detailed and appealing menu descriptions, and the owners’ satisfaction with the team and concept. There is no mention of price range beyond one item, accessibility, noise, crowding, or any potential drawbacks or criticisms. For example: - Detailed praise of snacks and wine, but no mention of whether the venue might be expensive, busy, or not suited to certain diners. - The transition from P&V is framed only as an upgrade, with no discussion of what might be lost for previous P&V customers.

3 suggestions

Add neutral contextual details that could matter to readers, such as typical price range for snacks and drinks, seating capacity, or whether bookings are required, without evaluative language.

Briefly acknowledge that preferences vary, e.g. “The menu leans heavily into seafood and offal-based dishes, which may not appeal to all diners.”

Mention any practical limitations (e.g. “The space is relatively small and can get busy on weekends”) if known, to provide a more rounded picture.

Appeal to emotion / Sensory framing

Using vivid, emotionally appealing or romanticized descriptions to create a strong positive emotional response rather than just conveying information.

The menu and space are described in highly evocative terms: - “Gold, sharp-cornered rectangles of fried panisse are topped with quince and tight golden curls of mimolette.” - “Order a few of the pretty things and they’ll arrive as a platter of ocean treasures.” - References to “vintage prints from Paris,” “a blue-on-blue mural,” and “a sprinkling of fun stuff” in the wine list. While some sensory description is normal in food writing, the cumulative effect is strongly promotional and emotionally loaded, nudging the reader toward a positive emotional judgment.

3 suggestions

Retain descriptive detail but reduce romanticized metaphors, e.g. “The fried panisse is served with quince and shaved mimolette” instead of “tight golden curls of mimolette.”

Replace “platter of ocean treasures” with “seafood platter” or “assorted seafood plate.”

Clarify that such descriptions are stylistic rather than factual, or balance them with straightforward information (portion sizes, ingredients, preparation style) to keep the tone informative rather than purely evocative.

Unbalanced reporting / Selective use of sources

Relying almost entirely on one side’s perspective (the owners and their team) without including other relevant viewpoints.

The only voices in the article are the owners and the writer’s descriptive narration. There are no quotes from customers, neighbors, former P&V patrons, or independent experts. The transition from P&V to L’Avant Cave is framed solely from the new venue’s perspective, and the article does not explore how the change is perceived by others.

3 suggestions

Include at least one customer or independent comment, e.g. “One early visitor described the space as…” or “Some former P&V regulars say they miss the bottle shop focus but appreciate the expanded bar offering.”

Provide minimal context about P&V’s departure (if relevant), such as whether it was a strategic change, a relocation, or a closure, without editorializing.

Explicitly signal the article’s focus, e.g. “This piece focuses on the owners’ vision for the new space,” so readers understand they are mainly getting one side.