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1.-@PHILLYFOODGIRLS 2.-MOLLIE DRONSON OF @PHILLYFOODIES 3.-LORI DEFINIS OF @MUSIC2MYMOUTH 4.-LAUREN AYNN @HUNGRYHAPPYFOODIE AND JOSH MOORE @JOSHEATSPHILLY 5.-@SARAHMAIELLANO 6.-@PHILLY_FOODIES 7.-CAITLIN CHERKIN OF @PHILLYBRUNCHBABE
PhillyDo it for foodies
the ‘Gram
by Kelley Bregenzer
A
city with as rich a culinary scene as Philadelphia is apt to have its fair share of ‘foodies’ on Instagram. These accounts, dedicated primarily to documenting the city’s bevy of restaurants and dishes, serve as a visual menu of sorts. They help the hungry among us navigate our cravings and inspire us to experience the city’s culinary smorgasbord with the gusto it deserves. Food is beautiful and Instagram is a space for pictures of beautiful things. But for many followers, geographically-related food accounts serve a more utilitarian purpose; they assist in answering the age-old
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question, “Where should we eat?” “People don’t Google a menu anymore,” said Lori DeFinis, who created the account @Music2MyMouth alongside her cousin Natalie Guarna, to poke fun at their shared obsession with food and song lyrics. “They see on Instagram where they want to eat.” Behind the glistening photos of pastel ice creams and perfectly arranged plates of pasta, there’s often quite a bit of work that goes into running an Instagram account. Here, we go behind-the-scenes with some of the city’s influential eaters.
Behind the Plate When they speak of Philadelphia’s food scene, there’s an air
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of reverence among this group of account owners. Compared to massive, ultra-competitive markets in neighboring New York City and Washington, DC, there’s a certain familiarity to dining in Philadelphia. “I personally think it’s more intimate. You have these amazing chefs coming here who are wanting to make their restaurants their own and they just put so much pride in it that you feel like you have to try them. You want to almost get to know them; they make their restaurants like their homes and they’re welcoming you in,” explains Sarah Formento, the food and travel expert behind @MenusAndMaps. “I just think it’s quality, everywhere, and I think that Philly people will tell you if it’s not good,”
| ROWHOME MAGAZINE | July / August / September 2018
says Caitlin Cherkin, also known as @PhillyBrunchBabe. “So you’re going to make good food or you’re not going to be successful.” For many, a special relationship with food started early. “I’ve loved food my whole life,” explains Lauren Aynn, aka @HappyHungryFoodie. “My father was one of the first to graduate from the Restaurant School in Philly. My parents owned a little cheesesteak / ice cream shop on Long Beach Island.” The self-described “bottomless pit,” who runs @lettuce_be_cereal and prefers to go by his Instagram handle, attributes an appreciation for a hearty meal to family. “I grew up with my mom and grandmother always cooking for me. It was always appetizer, entrée and dessert… dessert was for sure, which is why I put sugar on my sugar,” he says (he first started reviewing ice cream on message boards before starting his own Instagram account). Although some were born with a curious palate, Sarah Maiellano (@sarahmaiellano) developed when food became her job. Before dedicating her Instagram ac-
count to her eating adventures in Philadelphia and abroad, Maiellano cemented her culinary expertise as a freelance food and travel writer for Eater and USA Today. But before all of that, she admits that she was actually a picky eater. The same can be said of Formento. “When I first met my husband, he jokes that he would take me to steakhouses and I would order a Caesar salad. I really credit becoming very interested in food to my husband.”
Do it for the ‘Gram Getting a fabulous photo of your meal will get you ‘likes,’ but it’s also about showing respect for the city’s chefs by making something look as good as it tasted. “I think lighting and angles are key. Lighting is the most important thing,” says Mollie Dronson. Like most of the other foodies, she shoots entirely on her smartphone for her account @PhillyFoodies. Several foodies insist on using only natural light. When you’re in a dark bar or a swanky lounge, this sometimes means taking your dish gohomephilly.com