1st Post

This post is dedicated to Stu Spivack.

I have often wanted to blog, but have found very little time to do so. I finally decided to do one after hearing about an argument between some of the cooks at the restaurant that I am Executive Sous Chef at.

The argument they had was about the validity of "foodie" blogs. One side of the argument was that people don't really pay attention to food blogs(this is the side that I don't agree with).

The other side is in defense of "foodie" blogs and the publicity that they can generate(this is the side I do agree with).

In the last few years, blogs have taken off. Blogs about food have especially seemed to gain notoriety. One blog in particular, Chocolate and Zucchini, is extremely popular. The author of said blog, Clotilde Dusoulier, has been on television and has even published 2 books. I would say that this makes her blog something that people read on a daily basis.

I myself am extremely fond of food related blogs, especially blog posts that pertain to restaurants. I often look for reviews of the newest spots that are opening up. Blogs are even useful for finding out what events are being held at your favorite restaurants(ex: Stuart Spivack's blog).

Over the last few years, blogs have really opened my eyes to what is going on in the culinary world. Ideas in Food, opened up my eyes to "molecular gastronomy"....even though that term has been widely abused by many writers. This blog really began to show me how important a blog can be for expanding your knowledge of cooking techniques. It also showed me how much more I have to learn about food.

As I began the start of my career in Cleveland, I began to seek out blogs about the dining scene(ex: Cleveland Foodie). Michelle blogs about every restaurant in Cleveland. This is where my point about the validity of food blogs comes in. She blogs about the restaurants, she interviews the chefs, and people read all about it.

Chefs around town begin to notice, and soon she gets noticed when she goes out to eat. Some bloggers even get invited to events that chefs hold promoting their newest restaurant.

Chefs take notice, so why wouldn't educated consumers. Isn't it possible that a favorable review in a blog could make a restaurant goer more likely to dine at that establishment. Don't even get me started on how pictures of dishes can totally influence someone's decision to eat there.

In summary(sorry if I rambled to much for a 1st post), I think food blogs are very important. I feel that they can influence people to come to your restaurant, and have sometimes even influenced my decision.