[Photograph: NYC Department of Health]

New York recently launched a new restaurant grading program, assigning letter grades of A, B, or C to eating establishments, depending on the outcome of their most recent inspection. More importantly? Restaurants are required to post those letter grades in the window for all to see.

Will a poor inspection score now spell doom for a restaurant? On the one hand, patrons would surely prefer a cleaner restaurant, one with fewer health code violations. But on the other, a restaurant could be docked for any number of technicalities, so its grade doesn't necessarily correlate with the food safety practiced.

What do you think? How would a letter grade impact your decision to eat at a restaurant?