Local Tourism Richmond's 365 Days of Dining Blog Contest

Tourism Richmond's 365 Days of Dining Blog: http://www.365daysofdining.com/

What does everybody think of the outcome of the competition? It was clear from the demographics of the finalists what direction Tourism Richmond wanted the blog to go in, but do you think they made a mistake choosing someone that is neither local nor Asian?

The winner, Lindsay Anderson, has gotten a lot of criticism; there's a lot of haterade going around. It was at its worst when she reviewed Kam Do and confused wintermelon with bittermelon. The trolling and flaming was bad enough that Tourism Richmond had to step in and delete comments:

She's clearly not an expert on ethnic cuisine so factual errors will happen, but I think as long as she acknowledges them, then it's okay. Moreover, she seems open-minded about trying new things (eg: century eggs) and has noticeably taken her reader's comments to heart in how she chooses restaurants and writes subsequent blog entries. That much is clear.

My concern is that because Lindsay is a newbie to Chinese cuisine, she might not be the best person to showcase what Richmond has to offer. An outsider's perspective is good, but to be frank, she had no prior experience with even the most basic dishes like congee.