Because I’m Appy: Chefs Feed
There are times when we’ve just got to trust the experts. These times include when we’re dyeing our hair pink (Hey, AJ!) or attempting to pull off the culotte trend (Thanks, Man Repeller), when we’re getting our eyebrows tattooed (no but they’re natural), or really anything to do with home improvement (When we tried to retile the bathroom and ended up with something more akin to ancient ruins).
So why is it that with restaurant advice, we find ourselves lost in a sea of unreliable recommendations (and criticisms)? Yelpers who have some bone to pick because they waited four extra minutes for their table, who got dumped at the restaurant and now say it has a bad aura, who don’t like Italian food anyway, and so rated the Italian restaurant a “negative five, if I could!”.
This overly crowdsourced food climate is exactly what Chefs Feed hopes to transform. The app provides recommendations down-to-the-dish from chefs in more than 20 cities. We caught up with Chefs Feed CEO Rich Maggiotto to talk about the app and of course, how he likes to party.
How does Chefs Feed Work?
Once you’ve downloaded the app, you can filter by city to find chefs with “Food Recommendation Profiles.” Follow the ones you like to be in the know about where they’re eating and what dish they’re ordering: who’s got the best tacos, who makes the best meatballs, where can we get the best lobster thermidor?
We’re going to trust April Bloomfield and Daniel Bouloud when they tell us where they find the best lo-mein or steak for two.
What else can I find on Chefs Feed?
- Location-based Recs: lost and hungry on the LES? Unable to remember what Lizzie and Katie told you about El Rey Coffee Bar? Hop onto Chefs Feed and find a list of dishes within walking distance… that are worth walking for.
- Best Of Collections: curated lists based on specific dishes. Need a new pizza spot? Look no further.
- Personal Chefs Feed Profiles: Provide recommendations to your friends and keep track of where you want to go next.
- Curated Content: Like any great food site, Chef’s Feed has more than just lists. They’ve got tutorials, opening night exposés, and in-depth interviews with chefs.
Grillin’ Rich
What’s your favorite dish?
Umeboshi somen with uni from Nojo in San Francisco. It tastes as sexy as it sounds. It was recommended on Chefs Feed by Nicole Krasinski of State Bird Provisions, and now I’m forever in her debt.
Do you have a favorite chef?
This question might get me in serious trouble. Allow me to navigate gently. I tend to gravitate toward chefs who are authentic to themselves. The dishes that impress me are often the most simple, effortless, and therefore graceful. The Italians have a word for this type of mastery: sprezzaturra. If I were to lay back on the culinary chaise and reveal my innermost secret, it would be that I long for my Italian mother’s gnocchi. In her kitchen, in her world, that woman has always had sprezzaturra. How’s that for an Italian mamma’s boy (with political ambitions)?
Do you or your wife cook? What’s dinner at home like?
We dine out frequently, given what I do for a living. But my wife Tara and I both love to cook. Since the arrival of our two boys and their finicky little palates, I’ve been promoted to our family’s weekend chef. Weekday dinners are more about survival. My wife has refined survival instincts and keeps our little savages (and me) happy with pastas, risottos, roasted chickens. Weekends are more relaxed, prolonged affairs. This is when I shine. Dinners involve family and friends, and I adore cooking outside over firewood… embers dancing into darkness, glass in hand. My signature dishes are wood-fired Seafood Paella or Bistecca Florentina.