donuts4dinner.com » bigtime celebrity http://www.donuts4dinner.com NYC Restaurant Reviews for Sugar Fiends Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:45:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Proud to Be Part of the Food Paparazzi http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/06/15/proud-to-be-part-of-the-food-paparazzi/ http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/06/15/proud-to-be-part-of-the-food-paparazzi/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:30:53 +0000 plumpdumpling http://www.donuts4dinner.com/?p=796 A couple of weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a journalist who was working on a piece for NPR about food bloggers–or “food paparazzi”–and whether their photos and reviews were helpful or hurtful to restaurants, if their shots are “sleek and beautiful” or “harmful and amateur”. And then she asked if she could use some of my pictures from Colicchio & Sons.

I wrote back and said, “I have to laugh, knowing that you’re asking because those photos in particular are the exact opposite of sleek and beautiful.” She replied, “We do want to show a range of photos, of all qualities, so I’m glad that my request seems transparent.”

I bragged to everyone that NPR was going to make fun of my photos, because like they say, all press is good press. And in actuality, I was excited about the piece, because I have no idea why food bloggers are getting such a bad rap lately. Suddenly, I see articles everywhere about diners setting up tripods and lights, standing on their chairs to get better angles, and letting their food get cold while they take the perfect shot. Obviously my boyfriend and I eat out a lot–literally more than anyone else I know–and I’ve never EVER seen someone use a tripod, extra lights, or their chairs as stepstools.

Anyway, despite showcasing two of my photos, the the NPR article totally disappointed me. I guess the author wanted to take an unbiased stance, but I know I couldn’t have helped but rip into her when the VP of Operations and New Projects at Craft Restaurants said “she doesn’t want amateur food writers influencing people’s dining decisions”.

The same woman also said, “When you feel like they’re having that influence without really knowing what they’re talking about, it’s very frustrating.” Sorry, not really knowing what we’re talking about? Because to enjoy or not enjoy food, you must have endured hours of classical training? Well, I’ve endured years of classical eating, bitch.

I’m sort of just kidding about that, but the thing is: my photos show what the food REALLY looks like under the ACTUAL restaurant lighting. In fact, if I’ve Photoshopped my pictures, then the food looks BETTER than it did in the restaurant.

When it comes to reviewing, I don’t order things I don’t expect to like, and I have a very open mind. If your dish doesn’t delight me, there’s something wrong with it. I’m aware of my biases against seafood, tomatoes, mushrooms, and desserts that don’t fill me up to the point of puking, and I make sure my readers are aware of that bias, too, so they can tailor my reviews to their needs accordingly.

And the idea that restaurants could possibly hate being written about blows my mind. How many times have I gone somewhere (Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant, The Mark, most recently) just because I wanted to argue with someone else’s (the New York Times) negative review of it?

Restaurants should be taking advantage of food bloggers, not poo-pooing us.

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]]> http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/06/15/proud-to-be-part-of-the-food-paparazzi/feed/ 7 Free KFC Double Downs for All! (Or for, like, two or three.) http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/05/05/free-kfc-double-downs-for-all-or-for-like-two-or-three/ http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/05/05/free-kfc-double-downs-for-all-or-for-like-two-or-three/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 16:00:16 +0000 plumpdumpling http://www.donuts4dinner.com/?p=629 The totally-not-sanctioned-by-KFC @kfcdoubledown tweeted the other day to tell me that I won the KFC Double Down photo contest on Foodspotting!

kfcdoubledown tweet

I didn’t even know I was entered for the contest, so it was an extra-awesome surprise. And now I have $25 in KFC gift cards coming my way, so if any of you have been too scared to try the Double Down, now’s your chance–on me!

Thanks to Travis Bye, the man behind @kfcdoubledown, and Foodspotting!

Too many exclamation points in one post? Sorry.

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]]> http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/05/05/free-kfc-double-downs-for-all-or-for-like-two-or-three/feed/ 14 Getting Even More Intimate with the Double Down http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/04/22/getting-even-more-intimate-with-the-double-down/ http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/04/22/getting-even-more-intimate-with-the-double-down/#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:00:49 +0000 plumpdumpling http://www.donuts4dinner.com/?p=589 The KFC Double Down is on Twitter, and it is following me. I like it better than all of my other Twitter friends, too, because it says things like, “This is my 100th tweet. Not bad for a sandwich. A delicious, filling sandwich.”

It tweeted to Anthony Bordain: @NoReservations: I come in peace. And Original Recipe. And Grilled. All delicious!

Andrew Zimmern tweeted to it: @kfcdoubledown Fermented walrus anus? Yes! KFC Doubledown? No f-ing way!

And the other day, it tweeted to me in response to my review of it!

I think my new dream job is to tweet as foodstuff.

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]]> http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/04/22/getting-even-more-intimate-with-the-double-down/feed/ 15 I’m a Foodbuzz Top 9! http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/01/15/im-a-foodbuzz-top-9/ http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/01/15/im-a-foodbuzz-top-9/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:00:51 +0000 plumpdumpling http://www.donuts4dinner.com/?p=396 I’m one of Foodbuzz’s Top 9 today! Thanks to my wd-50 review from yesterday and the apparently half-decent photo I took of the chocolate hazelnut tart. I’m totally surprised, flattered, and ecstatic.

Check out the photo and the strangely thrilling comment I got on it from one of my favourite faux-vintage clothing sites. I guess it just goes to show that everyone likes looking at food.

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]]> http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/01/15/im-a-foodbuzz-top-9/feed/ 4 Thank Goodness for the Cupcake Resurgence of 2009 http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/01/08/thank-goodness-for-the-cupcake-resurgence-of-2009/ http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/01/08/thank-goodness-for-the-cupcake-resurgence-of-2009/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:00:29 +0000 plumpdumpling http://www.donuts4dinner.com/?p=377 Thanks to All Things Cupcake for the link to my Burger King Cupcake Shake review! Looking at my own photo sort of makes me want to go to Burger King right now.

Of course, then I’m reminded of the Burger King Double Bacon Rodeo State Fair Cheeseburger and lose all interest in food again.

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]]> http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2010/01/08/thank-goodness-for-the-cupcake-resurgence-of-2009/feed/ 3 But All of Those Uncool Websites Still Better Watch Themselves http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2009/10/01/but-all-of-those-uncool-websites-still-better-watch-themselves/ http://www.donuts4dinner.com/2009/10/01/but-all-of-those-uncool-websites-still-better-watch-themselves/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:22:34 +0000 plumpdumpling http://www.donuts4dinner.com/?p=222 Hooray! It’s the first (known) case of Internet theft involving one of my blogs! One of my photos is currently on the front page of the website for the magazine mental_floss to illustrate an article about brain freeze.

(It was at the top of the page yesterday and this morning but has since been moved down. Hmph.)

At first, I was like, “Photo courtesy of donuts4dinner?! It’s not courtesy of if you steal it!” But after considering it for a millisecond, I’ve decided that I’m actually pleased as punch to see my hand featured on such an interesting website.

You’re lucky I like you, mental_floss.

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