In the past year or so, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of food resources/websites offering shorter entries and news updates. Perhaps it is the influence of Twitter, making 140 characters the preferred length of communication.
People’s attention spans are shrinking, as is their patience in waiting for the latest and greatest information available. The food industry is not immune to this trend. Eater is one of the most popular sites out there, combining roundups, short blips of information, and popularizing the practice of referencing other publications or websites for the latest buzz.
Call me old-fashioned but I still find longer, more in-depth reviews the most interesting, ones that provide a glimpse into the back-story of the restaurant, chef or topic at-hand. I try to keep my reviews focused on this style of writing. Saying that, SF Station, one of the main channels for my reviews, is following the pack and moving towards more frequent posts, even if that means having to cut back a bit on length and depth.
I have been writing for the Yum blog portion of SF Station, the restaurant/food roundup section of the online publication. Teaming with a few other local SF writers, we will each be contributing 2-4 pieces a week. In talking with my editor, I wanted to keep my regular 2 feature articles per month that are longer in length so I can still delve deep into the more unexplored story behind a restaurant. The other articles I post each week will be shorter, and more driven around updating the public on upcoming events (cooking classes, special food events, new restaurant openings, closures, etc).
I have listed out the articles I have done over the past couple months for Yum blog while we were ramping up the site. Plan on joining full steam next week with 2 articles per week or roughly 8 per month, 2 of which will be longer feature articles. My next feature article is supposed to go up next week. It will be on new Mission eatery, The Beast and the Hare and head chef Ian Marks.
Until then check out my Yum blog articles pasted below from the past couple months:
1) Fat Angel - wine bar with small bites, wide range of wines and beers and a bit of sass – Fillmore district
2) Dishcrawl - site that helps connect people with different food communities, match your craving to a restaurant
3) Cookhouse – gorgeous North Beach dining space with full kitchen, equipment for rent for private dinners/parties.
4) Brick & Bottle - Corte Madera restaurant offering comfort food like mac & cheese, artisan pizzas, rotisserie chicken
5) Good Karmal – caramel candy purveyor and inspirational quotes combine for a sweet gift
6) The Brixton – new Marina tavern serving up burgers, libations in a laid-back but classy ambiance
7) $5,000 Burger – Got deep pockets? Then buy this burger. Or skip it and contribute to your 401K.
8) Bay area Dim Sum – my top picks for dim sum in the Bay area.
9) 10 Recipes to Get you Laid – someone made a book. Helping men. One poor soul at a time.
10) Leopolds restaurant – Austrian spot in Russian Hill serving up steins of beer and wienerschnitzel.
11) Sustainable Seafood – informative article on sustainable seafood and spots in the Bay area making a difference
12) Oakland Eats – Camino, Hibiscus and Boot & Shoe Service in Oakland – three restaurants worth the trip
13) The Punchdown – natural wine bar in Oakland
