New York City is known to many as a melting pot of cultures, languages, traditions and history, each of which provides a treat for all the senses. In recent years, the Big Apple has become synonymous with many things: some of the best museums and galleries worldwide (Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum and Hearst Gallery, a wide variety of classic films set in NYC (think Taxi Driver, Do The Right Thing, The Apartment) and a diverse and happening cultural and events program.
It is due to this rich and colorful background that New York now offers some of the most enjoyable culinary tourism there is. Whether it’s a Caribbean roti, Chinese dumplings, Cuban cubanas or Jewish kugels – you name it, New York’s got it. With this fusion of foods and cultures, it’s no wonder that the food industry in New York is thriving. Between bloggers, Instagrammers, columnists and celebrity chefs, not a single taste or palate remains uncatered for.
Bloggers
Food blogging has spread like wildfire in the last decade and has become an art in and of itself. With high quality photography, personal yet well-written editorial content, and excellent recipes, the world of food blogging has made cooking more accessible. Although traditional cookbooks still hold a lot of charm, they have always been an expensive way to pique interest for hobby cooks. Blogs are quick and easy to create these days for anyone with a passion for sharing their favorite restaurants and recipes, meaning there’s a wide variety of advice and recommendations out there. Food blogs provide an endless selection of recipes from all around the world at your fingertips at any given time. Another advantage to food blogs, is the fact that if you comment with a question beneath a certain recipe or post, you are almost always guaranteed an informed answer from the blogger themselves; such digital discourses around food is generally one of the biggest motivations for food bloggers, aside from the financial rewards. NYC food blogger recommendations: Grub Street & Smitten Kitchen.
Instagrammers
Most of our Instagram accounts are filled to the brim with food shots. Many of these can be swiftly ignored – there’s only so many filtered brunch photos of the perfectly poached egg that one can take – however there are some NYC-centric foodies on social media who will make you want to visit the capital the next chance you can. Social media has given a platform to everyone with a smartphone and nowadays, with the right hashtag or simply just ahead-of-the-trend restaurant stops, one photo can easily go viral and be picked up for articles worldwide. When it comes to food hashtags however, be careful what you tag; First We Feast provides an excellent and humorous breakdown of the foodie hashtags. NYC food Instagrammer recommendations: Eating NYC & NYC Dining.
Columnists
For the newspaper/magazine readers, fear not; food writing does of course extend to the world of food columns. After all, this is what food journalism was born out of. Despite the rise of digital food writing, print will always have a place in our hearts. There’s nothing like picking up the latest issue of The New Yorker and reading the food section to find out which restaurant or bar has just opened their doors. With few or no accompanying food photos, columnists rely on the art of writing more so than both bloggers and Instagrammers. Traditional food critics are still invited to every restaurant opening in the city in order to write a piece for the relevant magazine, journal or newspaper. Columnist recommendation: Pete Wells of The New York Times.