I'll put my almost-point-and-shoot camera up against an SLR any day, as long as I can make minor adjustments - things built into digital SLR's that aren't built into P&S - using my other tool...... At the end of the day, whether you have an SLR or P&S, if you don't take a great shot to start with (think framing, focus, content), nothing is going to help.
Not great shot: Picture of the entire grill with a little steak somewhere on it. Can't really see the steak itself well, surely can't get a sense of the sizzle. It's a pic of the grill that just happens to have a steak on it.
Great shot: Picture of the steak sitting on the grill - just enough of the grate showing to put it in context, or to display that touch of flame licking the steak. The steak pretty much fills the frame, so the pic is about the steak itself, not the grill.
.... or maybe do presentation vs. pictures?