food

The Top 10 Restaurants Using Social Media [Infographic]

Who among us wouldn’t love having nearly 31.4 million likes on Facebook or 2.8 million Twitter followers? That’s the kind of social media following Starbucks has–and it’s also dominating Google+ and Pinterest (and they come in second for YouTube and Klout, following Burger King and Taco Bell respectively).

by NowSourcing. Learn about infographic design.

Obviously, Starbucks and most of the other restaurants on this list have so many followers not only because they run their social media accounts well, but because people like their products. That’s a great lesson for all restaurant owners interested in boosting their social presence. Just like “content is king” in the blogging world, your content (i.e. your products) is king in the restaurant industry. It doesn’t matter how engaging you are on Facebook or Twitter if your food doesn’t taste good.

Some other observations I have about the above lists:

Restaurants are just starting to realize the importance of Pinterest. You don’t have to be a huge chain to break into the top ten list, since there’s not a ton of competition on Pinterest yet. (Check out our five-day series on creating a Pinterest profile from scratch if you don’t yet have an account there.)
YouTube is another place you can dominate, even if you aren’t a massive chain. Create interesting video content (not just commercials), and ask people to subscribe to your channel.
People aren’t really “checking in” to restaurants, but they are using apps to read about restaurants online. So make sure your restaurant has a presence on Yelp and other mobile apps.

Want to learn more about using social media for your restaurant? Consider grabbing a ticket to NMX’s Social Media Business Summit, which features speakers and sessions for every education level, from those of you new to social media to social media managers who have been using it for years.

BWE10 Dinner Recommendation: Tender

Author: elkecarvosso6

Earlier today, I posted a great lunch recommendation at Border Grill, but for dinner I wanted to give you a slightly more upscale location to try out. Tender, which is located at Luxor, is a great option if you’re looking for somewhere sophisticated but can’t afford a five-star $400 tasting menu. They have tons of dinner options in a wide range of prices.

The Food

Tender’s chef was nice enough to send out a variety of appetizer samples for me to try, including shrimp two ways (hot and cold), heirloom tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. I say this without hesitation: go for the cheese. It was creamy with a mild flavor and I wanted to swim in a pool of it. I’m pretty sure I would have eaten it all had I not had dinner partners who wanted to share.

Oh, something that you wouldn’t normally think about doing – try the bread. I usually try to avoid filling up on bread when I know I’m going to have a great meal, but Rachel, who helped organize the dinner, made me have a slice. I’m picky about bread, simply because my grandmother is the best bread baker in the world (it’s a fact.), but this was pretty darn good. It’s homemade and soft, while still being slightly chewy and having a crunchy crust. Pretty much everything you want bread to be.

Instead of doing a tasting menu like I did at Border Grill for lunch, we ordered dinner. On our waiter’s recommendation, I tried the seafood ensemble, which included Hawaiian blue prawns, Maine sea scallops, and Australian sea bass. We also chosen potato gratin and creamed corn side dishes to share at our table. I definitely recommend going that route – choosing a number of sides for everyone to try instead of each ordering your own. Our waiter recommended these two specific sides, and he wasn’t wrong, especially about the creamed corn.

I expected to love the sea scallops the most, as they’re one of my favorite foods. I wasn’t disappointed. They were perfectly seared and tasted buttery and smooth without being mushy. I have to say, though, the real star for me was the sea bass. The crispy skin was a delicious, and I almost wanted to order more.

Of course, we had to order dessert after seeing their menu. Our waiter recommended the Grandma’s chocolate cake, which was more fudgey chocolate ganache than cake and definitely not what anyone’s grandma makes at home! Our table also got the cookie platter, which was way too big for three people, let alone one person, and included everything from their version of a fig newton to homemade marshmallow.

My pick? Campfire peanut butter s’mores. Yes, you heard me correctly. It was a chocolate brownie on top of a graham cracker, topped with their marshmallows and drizzled with hot fudge. I’m unashamed to say that I ate almost the entire thing, even after being stuffed from dinner. Let’s be honest; I was really still stuffed from lunch before I even got there.

The Atmosphere

Tender has a very upscale lodge feel, especially with their unique chandelier and spun driftwood sculptures. Like I’m finding with most of the hotel restaurants, appearances can be deceiving. They have more than the small lounge and dining rooms you see from the door! If you want to host a larger party, they have dining rooms you can reserve, and they also have a great wine room, which I definitely recommend if you just want to have a few drinks with friends at the end of the night.

Overall, Tender is kind of like its name – a cozy place to eat. Try to get a booth if you eat here – they’re non-traditional wrap-around booths that make it easy to talk with your fellow diners.

The Service

While I already gushed about Rachel at Border Grill, our serving staff at Tender went above and beyond. John gave us fabulous wine recommendations, including a chardonnay that went perfectly with my dinner. Our waiter was Manuel, and not only was he attentive and professional, but he was also extremely personable. He grew up in Las Vegas, so gave us a ton of recommendation of things to see and do while in town. When we left, I kind of felt like I had made a friend, and that’s not the norm when it comes to your restaurant wait staff.

Both John and Manuel were also extremely knowledgeable about the food at Tender. You’ll notice that I mentioned we went with their recommendations often throughout the evening, and you could tell that they weren’t just pushing the specials or more expensive dishes – they were telling us what they love to eat and what they thought we would most love to eat as well.

Overall, Tender is not going to be for everyone. The food is fabulous, but the prices are a bit high for someone on an extreme budget. Remember, though – you get what you pay for. The prices are definitely worth the quality of the meal you’ll have at Tender. If you’re on a budget, consider stopping in just for wine or dessert!

The Specs:

Tender is open daily for dinner. Recommendations are recommended, though probably only necessarily on weekends.
Sunday – Thursday from 5-10, they have a $39 fixe menu available. Otherwise, you can expect for spend at least $50 for dinner there, assuming you get a drink, entree, and side. Like I said, if you’re on a tight budget, just stop in for dessert.
Dress is business casual.

You can view more information about the restaurant, along with their menus, on Luxor’s Tender page.

Big thanks to Ashli and Rachel for coordinating this meal!

Food Bloggers Heat Up BlogWorld 2010

Author: salvadorbegley

By Babette Pepaj
Founder BakeSpace.com & TECHmunch Food Blogger Conference
Producer of TECHmunch BlogWorld Food Track

Last year’s hit film “Julie & Julia” helped show the world how food bloggers love to share their passion and inspire one-another online. After all, food is one of life’s great pleasures, and talking about food is among the oldest forms of storytelling.

So it’s no wonder that BlogWorld is teaming up with BakeSpace.com’s TECHmunch Food Blogger Conference to add the first-ever food track to this year’s BlogWorld & New Media Expo.

The TECHmunch Track will include 15 panels designed specifically to help food bloggers learn how to develop great content, grow their audience and profit financially from their hard work. The focus is on practical, hands-on information that applied easily from day-one.

In addition, Jenn-Air is sponsoring an expansive demo kitchen in the conventional hall that will feature demonstrations by top food bloggers and telechefs including Stephen Hopcraft (Bravo’s “Top Chef”) and Manouschka Guerrier (Food Network’s “Private Chefs of Beverly Hills”). Even Blogworld Founder and CEO Rick Calvert will share his famous salsa recipe. Like any great kitchen, we believe the TECHmunch kitchen at BlogWorld will be the heart and soul of the conference. It’s not only where you’ll go when you’re hungry for great food, but also when you’re hungry for great conversation.

If you’re a food blogger, we hope the TECHmunch panels and demonstrations inspire you to take your blog to the next level. When the folks at BlogWorld decided to add a food track, they were determined not to just throw together a bunch of panels and invite food brands to stalk attendees. Instead, they wanted to create a genuine community. In this way TECHmunch at BlogWorld will be very different from most other food blogger conferences.

While we’ll focused on issues relating specifically to food bloggers, everyone at BlogWorld is welcome to attend the TECHmunch panels, which will feature some of the best minds in montezation, promotion, developing great content.

Below is quick summary of what we have planned. See you in Vegas!

Friday, October 15^th

10:30am – Salsa with Rick
BlogWorld Kitchen
Join BlogWorld’s very own Rick Calvert as he whips up is famous salsa recipe.

11:15am – BBQ Demo w/ Craig “Meathead” Goldwyn”
BlogWorld Kitchen
Chat about all things BBQ and creating mouthwatering content.

12:00pm – Setting Up Your Digital Kitchen
BlogWorld Kitchen
A lively discussion on live steaming and video content creation (in the field, at home and on the set). Sharing tips, tools and how-tos by content pioneers

1:15pm – Photo Demo with Diane and Todd of White on Rice
BlogWorld Kitchen
Diane and Todd share their wisdom for creating beautiful photographs that will keep your visitors wanting more.

1:50pm – Jenn-Air Intro
BlogWorld Kitchen
Check out what’s new in the kitchen.

2:00pm – Working with Brands
BlogWorld Kitchen
So you built a website and now brands are coming to you. So, what now? How do you communicate effectively with brands, build relationships and leverage those partnerships?

3:15pm – The Art & Science of Recipe Writing BlogWorld
BlogWorld Kitchen
Creating rich content can satisfy your readers, but how can it also drive traffic to your site? Understanding how to organize and write your content so it’s useful and highly indexable on the Web is an important lesson for building your community.

4:30pm – Fancy Fast Food Demo
BlogWorld Kitchen
Join Erik Trinidad from Fancy Fast Food as he shows Melissa Rowley how to turn boring dinner into a blog worthy opportunity.

Saturday October 16

10:45 AM What’s Gaby Cooking?
BlogWorld Kitchen
Join Gaby Dalkin as she cooks a favorite recipe and shares her passion for food and chats about creating video content, getting a content syndication deal and how she develops mouth-watering recipes.

11:00 AM Getting Noticed: Building Your PR Plan
Tradewinds C/9
Building a PR plan is imperative if you want to create some buzz around your site/blog/business/brand. Join our industry leaders as they share tools, tips and case studies creating a PR plan.

11:45 AM Food Trends: Curating Flavors on the Web BlogWorld
BlogWorld Kitchen
Writing great content is one thing, curating it is another story. Some content aggregators are masters at hand selecting the best content to share on the Web driving huge traffic to your site.

12:15 PM Monetizing Your Food Blog & Building Your Brand
Tradewinds C/9
Join us for a colorful discussion on monetizing your content, creating offline opportunities and turning your brand into a scalable business. We’ll hear from industry pros on how they built their businesses.

12:15 PM Get Offline (Originally a TECHmunch panel, moved to “Community”
Tradewinds A/B 10
Building a rich community doesn’t just happen online… Web communities are organizing meetups, tweetups, and community parties to connect IRL.

1:00 PM Cooking Demo: TV Chefs
BlogWorld Kitchen
Interested in turning your passion into a TV gig? Come to the BlogWorld kitchen to meet Chef Stephen Hocraft (Cheftestant Bravo’s Top Chef and Executive Chef at MGM’S Seablue by Michael Mina) and Manouschka Guerrier, Chef on Food Network’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills. Not only will they demonstrate a killer paella recipe, but they will share with you their journey to TV Chef stardom.

2:45 PM Writing Local: Tasting Las Vegas
BlogWorld Kitchen
Tapping into your local community is a great way to build community, capture visitors and attract press. But what happens when your city is Las Vegas? With so much food, entertainment and visitors from around the globe, how do you keep your content relevant to your community?

3:30 PM Leveraging Traditional Media – How to Get on Food Editor’s Radar Tradewinds C/9
Ever wonder how content finds its way into the paper? Join some of the top food editors in the US as we hash out what it takes to get on an editor’s radar so you can leverage their readers to help grow your blog readership.

TECHmunch Producer Babette Pepaj (@BakeSpace) is also founder and CEO of BakeSpace.com – which was launched in 2006 as the Web’s first food social network and recipe swap. The grassroots site earned back-to-back Webby Award nominations for “Best Social Network in 2009 and 2010. Prior to launching BakeSpace.com, Babette worked for more than a decade producing and directing reality TV shows such as MTV’s “The Real World” and “Road Rules.”

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Keep It Simple, Stupid

Author: salvadorbegley

Keep It Simple, Stupid are 4 words I never heard growing up. I have always had a secret love affair with all things food, heavily-concentrated-ingredient food at that. I grew up on Mom’s meatloaf, homemade macaroni and cheese, super meat and potato pie, roast beef and lasagna. I longed for anything cake, bread and ice-cream related.

And then just a few short years back, I found out I had a form of colitis and an inflamed esophagus. My diet suddenly took a drastic change and went from an unhealthy, all out love affair, to a basic “kiss.”

Keep It Simple, Stupid (K.I.S.S.): I blog the way I eat. I eat the way I blog. I have a saying, “Cut the ingredients. Clear the clutter. Simple. Zen.” Those who follow my Blog, Confessions, Truths & the Journey of a (Mis) Fortunate Foodie-Fitness Junkie, know that I am 100% gluten free, I only eat the best dairy products, I don’t do artificial or preservatives and for the most part everything about my diet (and my life in general) is plain and simple.

The food blogging population is on the rise! I am thrilled, as I love reading and learning from other people. But with this rapid growth comes the need for differentiation and focus. Differentiate yourself and your blog, while trying to focus on a certain aspect of food. Figure out what type of food blog you will be most interested in creating and “marry” that with who you are as an individual.

But how do you take your passion for food, differentiate yourself and then translate it all into your own Food Blog?

Here are 8 Ideas:

Category Specific: Ex. “Just a Bean Pole” (All about beans, from shopping for them to cooking with them and recipes that use them.) Take a category of food you are interested in and focus on that. You might be surprised how many people want to reach about these “niche” foods. If you have a category-specific passion, explore the idea.
Diet Specific: Ex. “South Beach Bum” (All about the South Beach Diet.) Do you follow a specific diet and know everything about it? Share it! There are millions of people who follow specific diets. If you are knowledgeable about one and are able to share that information, you will make someone else’s life easier through your blog.
Product Reviews: Ex. “Product As-Is” (All about your food and food-product reviews.) Are you always trying the latest in food and food-product items? If so, blog about it. Share what you know, what’s hot and what’s trendy.
Geographic Specific: Ex. “Eatin’ San Francisco” (All about food and restaurants in San Francisco.) Are you a foodie who is always talking about local food, food products and events? Do you appreciate your geographic location as it relates to food more than most? If so, blog about it.
“Profession” Specific: “Ms. Traveling Executive Gets an A+ in Nutrition.” (All about eating on the road, with a busy, mobile lifestyle.) Maybe you have a job which requires constant travel? Or maybe you’re a professional athlete with specific food requirements. If you fall into these types of categories, but yet have found true passion in food as a complement, chances are someone will be extremely interested in this content.
“Illness” Specific: Ex. “My Bum Tum” (All about food for people living with Colitis.) With food allergies and intolerance on the rise, many people have had to change their diets. Newly diagnosed people are not sure where to turn. If you have lived it and know the great tips and tricks, share it. Someone will be looking for content like yours!
Sport Specific: Ex. “Run. Eat. PR. Repeat.” (All about a runner’s diet.) Sports require food, typically a lot of food! Athletes that participate in running and triathlon events typically have high-caloric intakes. Sharing how you achieve this and make it work for your training is interesting and informational.
Beverage Specific: Ex. “Java Nation” (All about coffee.) Food can also be beverage. And maybe beverage is your choice passion. Maybe you are the local wine connoisseur or you’re traveling the world looking for the best cup of coffee. Blog it!

Does your Food Blog have to fall under one of these (or any other) specific category or “theme?” Absolutely not! That being said, people are more likely to read and follow your blog when they appreciate the content, find it useful and feel a connection to it all. People do this by reaching for the “like me” portion of content to invest their time in.

Don’t make your food blog harder than it should be. Remember 3 things: Embrace your passion for food, enjoy the art of blogging and always K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)!

Sarah Kay Hoffman
Sarah Kay Hoffman is currently the Community Manager for the Sears Fit Club. She is an avid foodie-fitness blogger, and dives into all things social media and integrated marketing communications related. You can find her at www.sarahkayhoffman.com, www.digitalmention.com and on Twitter @SarahKayHoffman

Twitter: @SarahKayHoffman

Blogging - Food - Online Communities - Tips & Tricks
August 20, 2010

Survival Tips for the Niche Blogger

Author: salvadorbegley

Guest Blogger: Patricia Biesen

I write Chicago Eats Allergy Free for ChicagoNow. I’m a passionate foodie that happens to have food allergies. I provide tips for my fellow Chicagoans on where to eat and cook allergy free. I try to make food allergies as entertaining as possible. My writing style is kind of like a lactose intolerant version of Carrie Bradshaw. I believe we retain more information if we can laugh and have fun. That being said, I am also really serious about having integrity and providing the absolute truth. The last thing I want to do is make someone sick by writing about a product that turns out to not be so gluten free.

Many people romanticize about the lifestyle of a blogger, kind of like how illustrators were romanticized in the ‘70s. Blogging is often a job without a paycheck. Those who write about popular topics like motherhood, sports or celebrities seem to have it easier. Of course, if Tiger Woods had celiac disease I would write about it. One month my blog made the most money ever, that being a couple hundred dollars, because of a story I wrote called Healthy Eaters Who Look Good. I observed how many healthy diet book authors either looked great or well . . . didn’t. I wanted to report on those who walk their talk. I don’t think you should purchase a nutrition book or follow a diet from someone who looks unhealthy. Many of my readers agreed and were especially impressed with Peta’s Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50, the 71-year old Mimi Kirk. I was elated my blog was gaining readership. I just naturally assumed that this was just the beginning and my blog would grow in readership. Unfortunately, the next month I only made about what a “sandwich artist” makes in about an hour. Even though I worked hard and paid attention to Google Trends, my blog hasn’t had the same success. To be a good blogger you need to observe things that go unnoticed and yet provide something useful. Here are a few more of my thoughts on niche blogging:

It’s essential to love what you do. Your passion will be apparent, so will your lack of it. The old days of pushy marketing are over. People want to align themselves with authentic people. There are going to be days when you will feel totally unappreciated. On those days I will ask myself: What is new and good? Maybe that day I got three new Facebook fans or maybe nothing happened and I just really enjoyed sharing a story about someone’s gluten free cookie business that started out of a home kitchen.

Selling you v. offering a solution. No one reads my blog because of me. They may think I’m a nice person but I’m really not selling myself. I’m selling a solution. First it’s important to figure out what are my reader’s problems? Many of my readers request help finding good tasting gluten free bread or dairy free ice cream.

Ask and you shall receive. If you don’t know what your readers want then ask them. I usually inquire through Facebook posts or via Twitter. I never think of myself as a writer with an audience. I think myself as a person building a community.

Make your readers feel important. If applicable, offer freebies. Give a shout-out or personal thank you from time to time. I also try to make them feel like less of a niche audience. No one likes to feel alone. Can you align your readers with other groups? For example, some readers like to know that many of their favorite celebrities are also on gluten free diets.

Be aware of Google trends but also be true to you. Try to balance that fine line between giving what they want and writing what you want. For example, I do not agree with pretty much anything Elizabeth Hasselback has to say or stands for but she is a prominent gluten-free celebrity and I have mentioned her in my blog.

Never get angry at a reader. I never thought as a food allergy blogger that I would get hate mail but it happens from time to time. It’s important to breathe and then type. When I reply back to a negative comment I usually thank the reader for taking time to read my blog and for being so passionate about the subject matter I have written about. Then I explain diplomatically why I disagree. You never know who is reading your comments. It could be someone who would like to hire you so it’s best to keep the F-bombs in the privacy of your own home office.

What’s in it for you? Of course, YOU have to benefit somehow or else why do it? In addition to blogging I’m also a holistic health coach. A blog is a great marketing tool for my business. Also, I have no shortage of people sending me free food or product samples. I’m also amazed at the connections I have made. I have met some truly fantastic people and they keep me motivated.

Build relationships and trust first. It’s easy to be persuaded by another blogger’s success story. Focus on “how can I help” v. “how can I make a lot of money?” It may take someone six months before they feel comfortable contacting you for an opportunity.

For the food bloggers: you must have gorgeous photos. If sex sells in advertising, then food porn sells for us. Food is colorful and your blog should be too. Either learn to snap your own photos or align yourself with someone who can provide you with beautiful photos.

Avoid writer’s block. Years ago I did Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way program. Out of the many tools I took away from that program is the “morning pages”. In the morning write three full pages of just content, just stream of conscious writing. I find this process warms me up for the writing I do later on in the day. I’m always amazed at the ideas that just flow. The morning is ideal for this process as I believe the critical part of my brain is not up yet to get in the way.

And last of all, booby trap your home or office for creativity. I keep pads of paper on every table top surface. Any idea that pops into my head I write down. I think it’s also important to not dismiss the seemingly small ideas as you never know where they might lead you.

Patricia Biesen is a Food allergy expert and PAC (Protect Allergic Children) Consultant with Eat, Live and Learn. She helps schools, families and day care facilities become allergy safe. Find her at Chicago Now

Survival Tips for the Niche Blogger