WE WON'T
RECOMMEND A B
as if it were
AN S.

There is a particular kind of disappointment that comes from being recommended somewhere mediocre by someone who should have known better. Larking exists because that disappointment is preventable, and most apps choose not to prevent it.

The five-star scale is broken. When everything is 4.6, nothing means anything. So we use letters: S, A, B. The B is the proof the S means anything. We will tell you when a B is what the night needs — and when it isn't.

We were tired of leaving the house and being mildly let down. Tired of “best ramen near me” returning the seventh-best ramen near us. Tired of search engines that confused popularity with quality and reviews that confused free entrées with honesty.

So we built a small editor. Not a recommendation engine — an editor. Something with taste, that knows your block, that knows the weather, that knows when to admit it doesn't know.

We will not run banner ads. We will not take money from venues to rank them. We will not let a bad night happen quietly because the spot pays well.

We will not pretend we cover the world. We cover what we cover. When we add a city, we add it because we have walked it.

An S is the top eight percent. An A is reliable excellence. A B is solid and situational. Anything below B doesn't make the index. Three working editors review every grade. Grades expire. Spots fall. Sometimes spots earn an S, lose it, and earn it back.

The grade is a verdict, not a rating. It changes when the kitchen changes. The editor takes the change personally.