Do you only write about lunch?
NO! That's a great question, though, and one that I get asked quite frequently! Let's just say that when it comes to a meal, I don't discriminate. From breakfast to a late-night snack - and everything in between - I cover the dining full-spectrum.
Why is your website called The Lunch Belle?
From April 2006 through April 2008, I was living the dream...or at least my dream, anyways. I had the enviable task of managing the daily catered lunch program for a very high-profile hedge fund. Aside from the fact that I was getting paid to do what I loved, I was basically given free reign to try nearly every restaurant on my "wish list" without having to spend a dime of my own money. Sounds pretty dreamy, doesn't it? And it was, until I needed someone to vent to about the woes of receiving three hotel pans of cold lasagna; getting yelled at by that mean manager at Tuscany; Tuesday's hour-and-one-half late delivery, etc. Trust me, no one cared.
Aside from consolidating all of my personal restaurant recommendations in to ONE place, I decided to start a blog as my own virtual punching bag and praising platform. If a restaurant did an extraordinary job with a catered lunch, I wanted the entire city to know about it; and on the flip side, if something disastrous happened, I wanted the public to know about that, too. Whether anyone, aside from my mom or very-patient friends, would ever read my blog or not, I found writing to be very therapeutic.
Because I managed my company's catered lunches, and hail from the South (hence Southern Belle), the cutesy name, "The Lunch Belle" was born. I have to give my mother credit for that one, as I would consider myself more of a "Lunch Byotch."
So I guess I should also explain where "Changing the Way The Street Eats" came from, right? "The Street" refers to Wall Street. And during the time that I was managing lunch for the fund, I can confidently say that no one else (on the Street) was eating quite as well as us.
What is your professional background?
Most recently, I received my Certificate in Professional Culinary Arts from The International Culinary Center in NYC. Prior to that, I spent a year in the Masters Program in Food Studies at NYU, before dropping out and chasing a boy to Los Angeles (clearly, that didn't work out so well).
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management. During the summer before my senior year of college, I was a food and beverage intern at a Marriott hotel in New York City. Post-graduation, I accepted a fantastic position with ARAMARK. After nearly eight years (both studying and working) in the hospitality industry, I switched fields and made the move to finance (where I currently work).
I want to start a blog, but I’m not sure of a topic. Why did you choose to write about food?
My passionate love affair with food began around age 3 or 4 (I’m not sure why children take an interest in specific things, but I can clearly recall that my first two loves were food and jewelry). I began cooking for my friends and preparing family dinners in elementary school, and by junior high school, I ordered my first subscription of Gourmet Magazine (while the rest of my peers were reading YM or Seventeen). Clearly for me, food is much more than nourishment.
With that being said, food has also been my biggest obstacle and personal demon. We have a passionate "love/hate" relationship, and I'm slowly starting to learn how NOT to rely on it for my every emotion, whether good or bad.
If you want to start blogging, choose a topic that you’re extremely passionate about because this will make writing much more easy and enjoyable, rather than a "task."
What prompted you to start a blog?
In June 2005, I got a job at a start-up hedge fund, where among other tasks, I managed special events and daily catered lunches for 100+ employees. After having found the website, www.chow.com, I was amazed by how many poster’s had blogs. That’s when I decided to jump on the bandwagon. Initially, “The Lunch Belle” was intended to be a pseudo “sounding board” where I could vent/praise both the restaurants that I worked with on a daily basis, and those that I chose to try/frequent off-the-clock.
Do you have to be a human Zagat guide, chef, A+ English and Grammar student, or computer whiz to start your own food blog?
Absolutely not! Actually, I don’t consider myself to be any of the last four mentioned, though I have been called a “human Zagat guide” (and yes, I would agree). Honestly, there are really only two things you need to start a blog: passion and a belief in yourself.
When I started The Lunch Belle, I had no intention of anyone reading it except my family, friends and the occasional board contributor on chow.com. It wasn’t until I received an overwhelming amount of positive praise and feedback (and an offer to write a brunch review for a magazine), that I began thinking, “Hey, maybe I have something here.”
I’m not a classically trained French chef, a computer genius, nor do I always have perfect spelling/grammar. I’m just a girl who loves food.
Do you receive comments from your blog posts?
Yes, I receive both comments and inquiries. While most of the feedback is positive, I do get a negative comment every now and then. I appreciate constructive criticism and respect those who disagree with my personal opinion of a restaurant(s). However, if a commenter wants to knit-pick for the occasional misspelling of “mirepoix,” or the fact that I prefer to drink my dessert wine with dinner, etc., then I just have to laugh.
I encourage you/people to comment!
I see that Mexican food is your favorite cuisine, though I’m confused: Isn’t a food blogger supposed to only eat fancy stuff with foams and weird sauces?
Hell no (at least I don’t think so)! While I do enjoy the occasional meal at restaurant specializing in molecular gastronomy or nouveau French cooking, deep down, I’m a very simple girl. When I think of the word “indulgence,” the first thing that pops in to my head is “cheese enchiladas,” not “foie gras.”
Blogging should be whatever you want it to be, from fun to serious. There are no rules! Don’t ever let anyone tell you that your opinion doesn’t matter or that you’re not qualified to write about a particular subject.
If you were on death row, what would you choose for your last meal on earth?
Oh my, it would be a gluttonous smorgasbord! Here goes:
Can I use one of your photos on my site?
Please only use photographs with permission and full attribution via a link to the site. All photographs are © The Lunch Belle.