CLOSE-UP

It’s a bad waiter’s worst nightmare--a restaurant critic more concerned with the service than the sorbet, taking notes on everything from the wattage of the waiter’s smile to the cleanliness of the planters. Barry Blackstone of Prove International is an expert in eaterie espionage. He visits local establishments, most notably the Hard Rock Cafe, incognito, and, using standards culled from 160 different grading sheets, writes a “report card” for customer service and food quality.

A former Michigan police officer, Blackstone, 47, and his wife, Mildred, a registered nurse, started the L.A. branch of Prove International, which specializes in evaluating customer service in a variety of industries, two years ago.

“I knew there was a crying need for this kind of service,” Blackstone says. “I’ve been in restaurants where the food was served stone cold or when I repeatedly had to ask for silverware. “

Until recently, he also rated the service at various Ed and Al’s Auto Sounds in Los Angeles. Now his major client is the Hard Rock Cafe--all 11 that stretch around the globe. He employs spies-for-hire in other cities, but he and his wife scrutinize the local Hard Rock. Or at least they did until recently when he began to suspect his cover had been blown.

“Within 10 minutes of being seated,” he says, “members of management were stopping by, asking how we were and how the food was.” Although he now has someone else doing the undercover work, “they still wait on us hand and foot,” he laughs.