June 25, 2013
INSTAGRAMANIA
Food Stills and Videos Fill Feeds
In the news last week, Instagram’s announcement of 15-second video to its feed. As if inspired by the news, a flurry of photos and videos from some of my favorite chefs hit Instagram with some great food photos and video. When you think about it, it’s such a perfect medium for explaining, phtotographing and showing off (good, non-brown) food. So good, in fact, that Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom posted his first Instagram at San Francisco’s @ICHISUSHI. They were (appropriately) pleased.
In honor of the Instagram news, a few of my favorite chef shots from this week:
- Crab Noodles from Brooklyn’s Dale Talde
- Duck charred ceci beans from C+T favorite and San Franciscan Chris Cosentino
- Egg in geleé, also from @offalchris because WHAT?
- Smoking pork shoulder and onions, in video, from SF’s @linecook — ignore the comments, haters gonna hate.
(Ps, if you have a recent favorite chef Instagram, send it my way. I’m compiling the best of the best.)
N(EW)
Watermelon Oreos and Social Media
Oreos: classic, well-loved, and this summer, watermelon-flavored. Say what? That’s right, Oreo is releasing a special watermelon-flavored cookie sold only at Target, just in time for actual watermelon season. Though the brand has proven its social media savviness (thanks to that now-ubiquitous Super Bowl Tweet), mum’s the word when it comes to the fruit-flavored, cream-filled cookie (ew) — though the account has responded to both praise and criticism via Tweet.
Typically, limited-edition product or menu announcements score big on Twitter, so why avoid it this time? Highly likely brand social media managers are trying to avoid some sort of collective digital “eww” sentiment. Twitter best practices include allowing and even responding to criticism, and you can’t blame Oreo for not wanting to open that door. though
Disclosure: I haven’t tried these, and I suppose it’s possible they’re good. I don’t plan to find out.
EN FEUGO
New Doritos Locos Taco Announced Via Instagram Video
In more n(eww)s, another Doritos Locos Taco is heading to Taco Bell, complementing the existing Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch varieties. The digital-savvy team announced said taco via brand new Instagram video, and it seems to imply the newest flavor will be some sort of spicy, flame-inspired concoction. Unlike those Watermelon Oreos (ew, sorry, can’t stop thinking about those), Instagram and social media has served Doritos Locos Tacos quite well, especially during the March launch of the#CoolRanchDLT.
DID YOU KNOW?
@ActuallyNPH’s Food Porn Obsession
Neil Patrick Harris has long been a great Twitter user, but have you seen his food porn account? Thanks to his partner, chef David Burtka, NPH has become quite the food-lover, chronicling what he eats via his “alter-ego” Twitter account: @nphfoodporn. It’s entertaining if only for the avatar (seriously), but the food shots are quite good. Most recently: pasta at Babbo in NYC and all six courses at Scott Conant’s Scarpetta (one of my all-time favorites.) Absolutely worth a follow.
BEST IN SHOW
A Face for Restaurants, on Facebook
Paris: one of the best (if not the best) food cities in the world (and also the place I happen to be visiting at the moment.) So far the best part of the Parisian restaurant scene is experiencing the young, fun restaurants and their embrace of digital and social media while still sticking to the high standards necessary to succeed in the Parisian market. Plus, they’re fun. Example: that time last week when a bunch of them got together to play soccer and posted the photos on their facebook pages. Two favorites: Frenchie and Rino posted photos of the matches on Facebook.
Sure, unless you’re friendly with the restaurant staff, the photos aren’t quite as compelling as, say, a photo of a decapitated pig, but it humanizes restaurants receiving worldwide press and sets the tone for the experience you’ll enjoy when you finally dine with them.
Ps, still trying to visit you, Frenchie. Here until Monday. Call me!
Digestifs
- A History of Food in 100 Recipes — NPR’s The Salt
- Underground dining scenes around the world — SaltShaker
- Results and commentary from last weekend’s Hack//Meat Silicon Valley Hackathon — Modern Farmer
- Rocco DiSpirito hosts a cooking class at Institute of Culinary Education, smartly gives away tickets via Tweets — @roccodispirito
