Stop letting beauty influencers tell you where to eat
Okay, Now What? Considerations for finding better food
Once upon a time, I had a theory that a reliable way to find good restaurants was to look on Instagram. I hypothesized that someone would only post a photo of the food they ate if they thought that the food was good. It turns out this theory is, for lack of a better word, bullshit. On many occasions, I have gone to a restaurant because everyone was posting about it, only to find out the food was fine at best.
One of the easiest ways to test this theory is to check if the majority of the photos online are of the interior of the restaurant or the food. Par example: Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore in Paris are much better for people-watching and sipping wine than they are for enjoying an actual meal. However, if you went on Instagram, you would assume these are two of the greatest cafés in the entire world. (For the record, people-watching and sipping wine are two of my favorite activities, so I would recommend going to either of these cafes if you happen to be in Paris - just maybe for drinks and pics lol).
Hindsight and a lifetime on social media have taught me that you probably shouldn’t take croissant recommendations from people who peddle Athletic Greens, just like you definitely shouldn’t take medical advice from Oscar winners (sorry GP, still love you in Shakespeare in Love though). Social media makes an expert of us all, and therefore we are all victims of unreliable advice. I could write an entire series of newsletters about the mundane (and not-so-mundane) ways that Instagram and TikTok have rotted our brains, but that’s for another day (👀).
For today, let’s talk about finding better food. I do not claim to be the patron saint of de-influencing, and I am as susceptible to the effects of Instagram influence as anyone else. In fact, I love some of the most basic (🙄) restaurants in London (the Big Mamma group, for example), and I even make restaurant guide TikToks from time to time. Therefore, I fully understand the irony of my influencing you to think differently about how you find restaurants. Frankly, I have no interest in telling you what to do or giving you a list of which Instagram traps are truly traps (I think de-influencing is often as reductive as influencing). Instead, I suggest we rethink what we value in a restaurant, cafe, or any business for that matter. Hopefully, that starts with not taking too seriously a restaurant’s presence on Instagram.
My 2023 theory on finding good places to eat is to make a list of things you consider perfect about a restaurant and go from there. These considerations can be as simple as a specific menu item or as significant as eating at a restaurant where the chef is of the same origin as the cuisine. These are just considerations for yourself, which means you are the only influencer and influencée that matters. If you prefer not to sit at barstools cause it detracts from your dining experience then that is your prerogative.
These considerations are by no means restrictive, but if you know what you like, you’ll know what to look for when you’re perusing the internet for a new place to eat.
A list of my restaurant considerations as of May 3, 2023.
Olives: I love when a restaurant has a “pre-appetizer” section and as a-handful-of-olives-as-a-snack-girl, a bowl of olives is the perfect way to start a meal. Plus, most of the time a restaurant serves olives they’re good. Why not start the meal on a positive note?
Short menu. When it comes to food (and maybe life ?): do a few things very well.
Chalkboard menu: I am a sucker for any handwritten menu, but a chalkboard menu is my real kryptonite. If I see a chalkboard menu on a Yelp photo, there’s a 99% chance I’m going to that restaurant. This probably doesn’t have much to do with the food, but it gives me a sense of connectedness to the kitchen and chef you don’t often get with a printed menu.
A seasonal menu: This one is tricky cause a lot of restaurants claim to be seasonal and aren’t really. You can usually tell if a restaurant prioritizes seasonality by checking the website to see if the menu is updated routinely (or better yet, if it says “sample menu”). A chef that cares about which produce is in season generally has a high standard of ingredients. Good ingredients = good food.
An open kitchen: I love to cook, I love to watch people cook, and I love to talk about watching people cook. To have an open kitchen in a restaurant requires a certain level of culinary competency (not to mention hygiene) that I have found guarantees a good quality of food. WARNING: you may be exposed to how much butter is actually going into your food, but hey, if you were eating out for something low-cal you should’ve gone to Sweetgreen.
Where to look?
Influencers (hypocrisy is part of being human, isn’t it?): The caveat is to find someone who isn’t influencing EVERYTHING, but has a niche for food or culture. Honorable mention to my favorite Instagram account: samyoukilis.
Google Maps: Some of the best restaurants I’ve been to I found on Google Maps. It can be daunting, but just choose something that looks interesting to you. Worst case scenario it’s not good. Best case scenario you find a spot that you’ll tell people about for the rest of your life. One of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had I found on Google Maps (In case you’re in Pisa anytime soon: I Porci Comodi).
Restaurant guides: Infatuation, Time Out, New York Times, and CN Traveler tend to have great guides because these people do the work professionally.
People you know: Heading to a new city and know people who visited recently or live there? Ask them. You’d be surprised how many times someone I haven’t spoken with in ages reaches out for London reccos.
People you don’t know: I know this can seem forward or awkward, but if you’re visiting a new place, ask a local for recommendations. Grabbing coffee in the morning? Ask the barista about their favorite place to eat nearby. People love to talk about their favorite things (and themselves). Every time I’ve asked a local what I should do/where I should eat they’ve always given great recommendations.
All that said, people generally like good food, so if someone, a friend, family, or an influencer tells you to go somewhere, chances are it’s going to be alright. But if you’re trying to find restaurants that become your go-to’s or change your life, do a little reflection about what makes the perfect meal for you and find a place that does that.
I’ve eaten out a lot and had a lot of great meals in popular restaurants. But the meals I remember most distinctly and the ones I tell people about are the hole-in-the-wall/mom-and-pop shops that I stumbled upon randomly and would’ve never found on the page of someone who has to put “#ad” on their content. There’s a whole world of food out there, and a lot of small businesses would benefit from us eating outside the Insta grid.
P.S. If you take the food recommendation of a beauty influencer, take it with a pinch of salt. 😉
Weekly Reccos:
What to read 📔: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
What to listen to 🎧: Found this “a little bit housy” playlist on TikTok and it is great for when you need to really focus on work, but can’t sit in silence.
What to watch: Jury Duty on Freevee (LOL I don’t know what Freevee is either, but trust me this show is so good).
What to do: Try a new restaurant! Perhaps in another life I would’ve been a food influencer, but I lack the dedication it requires to “influence professionally.” Instead, I’ll point you in the direction of some food/city guides I’ve made for friends and family: Isabelle’s Guides.
Short chalkboard menus!!! Huge green flag!
Love this! ❤️