Another in Our Continuing Series of Rants on the Chicago Tribune Cheap Eats Eats

Check out this review of Thai Bistro, in St. Charles (free registration required). What, in the review, gives you the impression that this place deserves 3 out of 4 forks. That they make their own soy vinegar sauce. Granted, the reviewer concedes that the lovely setting pushed the rating up 1/2 fork, but this is a cheap eats review. How important should the art work be?

The review gives no indication that this place at all, scratches the surface of "real" Thai food. See for instance links related to Spoon below. With dishes like crab rangoon and shu mai, you can barely even call it Thai. And the spiciest of dishes, the reviewer declares tame. Is this really a Thai restaurant to be included near the top?

If I could put on my Swami gear, I might think that the review was generated more to increase coverage in St. Charles than to find a great Thai place. With so many neglected Thai restaurants, say Thai Super Chef, and so many neglected restaurants generally (oh just read along at Chowhound), this is what they could find?