Alice Jones
Food Columnist
I love food. In fact, I pitched a story about the Let’s be Frank hot dog cart near school on Thursdays when I was a sophomore, and I have been writing about the city’s culinary treasures and a few travesties ever since.
Writing about food for three years has really changed how I perceive my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Eating with texture and flavor adjectives in mind has transformed my meals into occasions of critique. I don’t expecting culinary mastery in the school cafeteria — which has to cater to the pallet of a 6 year old — or from my mother (sorry, Mom), but judging food has become second nature.
At first it was uncomfortable to whip out my phone and do a photo shoot with a burrito or a plate in a nice restaurant, making sure no bites were taken before I got the perfect shot. Food photography looks obnoxious to passersby, but to me it’s worth it to get a high-quality shot of a twist of cupcake frosting or capture the gooeyness of melting Gruyere. Often I’ve had to remind dining companions, “It’s not weird — I write reviews.”
One of the toughest parts of eating for a review is distinguishing generic tastiness from the exceptional. Sometimes I know at first bite that this is something I’ve never tasted before. Making the distinctions, between the best bun-mee sandwich and an averagely delicious one comes with a lot of practice.
I like to consider myself a foodie; sampling around town when I see the opportunity to get a snack with friends. A few of my Instagram followers have told me they even peruse my pictures for dining ideas.
The City is filled with a plethora of artisanal food trucks, stands, carts and hole-in-the-wall restaurants that offer
locally-sourced and organic items for a high-quality price. Don’t get me wrong — there are a bunch of great places to eat for cheap and if you don’t care about where the produce came from or how long it took someone to make — you don’t have to. But if you’re like me, that extra care and quality make a long line or a high price worth it.
It’s not the cheapest interest to pursue, but because I like to investigate new local businesses from sit-down restaurants to juice stands, I feel like my money is going back into one of the aspects of the City that makes San Francisco so special.
