“It’s good” and “Isn’t it good” are these different?

Question

When you are invited to a home party, and the host offers you her signature dish which you’ve never had before, and you think it’s good.

would you say “It’s good!” or “Isn’t it good?”

Usually you would say “it’s good” but is it wrong to say “Isn’t it good!?” to the person who made it to show your surprise?

Is there a nuance difference in between?

Answer 1

Most likely "it's good!"

The only way "isn't it good?" would make sense is if you were asking another guest who had also tried it. To model a conversation:

"Have you tried the pecan pie?"

"Yes! I'm going back for another slice."

"Isn't it good? I'll have to ask for the recipe."

(I'd also suggest "this is good!" or "isn't this good" instead, just sounds a bit more natural.)

Answer 2

It's good, isn't it? In this example we have used a "question tag.", a negative question tag. We can turn it into a positive one saying, "It isn't good, is it?"

We usually use question tags in spoken language to check if what we are saying is true, or when we invite someone to accept what we are saying.

Answer 3

The clause "Isn't it good?" has a connotation of surprise, and thus might be taken amiss by the host -- what are you implying if you are surprised by the good quality of the host's cooking?

"Isn't it good?" similarly carries a sense of you weren't sure about it until you tried it: "I used cinnamon in this chili for the first time. Isn't it good?"

Used to describe one's own cooking or creation, it can be a bit immodest -- you are "fishing for" a compliment.

Finally, the clause can be inflected to sound declarative (instead of interrogative): "Isn't it good!" This is constructed syntactically as a question but functions as an exclamation. This is how Steven Sondheim begins his song "Send in the Clowns":

Isn't it rich?

Are we a pair?