It was a Saturday family lunch at the Pie Shack that sealed the deal.

Family restaurant decisions are a bit of a tangle at our house, with everyone having preferences and problems getting them all to overlap. An alternative to the usual choices? Let Andrea decide for us.

Last month’s ode to the Pie Shack led us out into the far heights in search of pizza, and our trust was rewarded. She was right: on a cold day, the surfboards and skater tack (and Ms. Pacman!) did bring smiles to our cranky, hungry faces.

The good news is that my colleagues at the Journal seem to have noticed as well. Albuquerque cyberspace’s favorite foodie is now the Journal’s restaurant reviewer (sub. req.). For those of us in the cyberworld who think the planet revolves around our bytes, who already know all about text messaging and blogs, it’s worth noting that this is an unarguable social good: Andrea is now in a position to lead even more people to good meals. “Though I wish those idiots at the Journal didn’t make you pay to read her reviews on line,” he said with a grin.

(update: forgot the obligatory link to Andrea’s own blog)