Meet the contributor

Maren Hollis

Restaurantor contributor

Maren Hollis investigates various establishments in New York, New Jersey, and Vermont for Restaurantor and puts emphasis on establishments that deserve second visits from customers. Her subjects of investigation can be busy New York restaurants or simple cafes, local neighborhood bakeries, or privately owned eateries. She tries to help the reader choose the restaurant that is really worth visiting rather than a popular place at the moment.

3 Published guides
From this contributor

Latest guides by Maren Hollis

Browse restaurant guides, dining recommendations, and local food stories researched and written by Maren Hollis.

3 guides

Best Restaurants in Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York

The dining options in Buffalo go far beyond those that Buffalo is known for. From traditional tavern food…

What Maren Looks For

Maren’s academic knowledge in communications and hospitality gives her an understanding of the approach she should follow when investigating restaurants. She takes into account how a particular restaurant presents itself to the visitors, but her main concern is the impression the guests leave with.

The menu variety, food quality, service, ambience, prices, reservation process, access to the restaurant, and its recent reviews are all considered by Maren during her investigation. She also analyses the trends. One great review or a single bad day doesn’t mean much.

From Big Cities to Local Favorites

Coverage by Maren will include some of the biggest dining markets like New York City, Buffalo, Albany, Newark, Jersey City, Burlington, and many others around these places. There is also a special focus on international food, bakeries, cafƩs, chef concepts, and other restaurants that became known due to their loyal community.

The fact that a restaurant is included in Restaurantor’s guide is based on a broader picture of the restaurant’s reputation, quality, and relevance to the city/neighborhood under consideration.

Why Her Research Matters

It is important to keep in mind that restaurant preferences are individual. The same place can be great for having a business lunch but not suitable for dating or spending a weekend evening with your kids or parents.

That is why Maren’s work helps Restaurantor make relevant guides and to provide an answer not just to the question ā€œIs it a good restaurant?” but to a more practical one—”Is it your restaurant?ā€