australia

I love perusing Instagram, living [and eating] vicariously through all of the colorful, flavorful looking posts. I came across a fellow native New Yorker, Alexa Mehraban, who has quite the passion for food. Since starting @EatingNYC in January 2014, this fabulous foodie has garnered a following of over 78,000 Instagram users! I reached out to her via email and she was kind enough to answer a few Q’s.

Where did the inspiration to start @EatingNYC come from?

AM: I was a food writer at the time, which really piqued my interest in the NYC dining scene. Naturally, I was trying a lot of new restaurants and sharing photos on Instagram, which led to the creation of my Instagram account and blog.

What do you attribute your large following to?

AM: A lot of things. Most importantly, I think I’ve created a following of users who trust and value my opinion. My followers visit @EatingNYC for a mix of everything: a first look at NYC’s hottest new restaurants, recommendations for their next dinner, and of course, delicious food porn. By creating a brand people love and can relate to, I’ve created a growing fan-base of food lovers from NYC all the way to Australia.

Are all of the posts your own?

AM: All of my posts are my own, unless it’s the occasional “regram” of another photo tagged with #EATINGNYC.

You post so many delicious looking foods, but do you have a favorite that stands out?

AM: That’s a tough one. Some of my favorite foods include sushi, hamburgers and pasta – I love a good pappardelle ragu.

Is there any food you absolutely don’t like or won’t try?

AM: Nope, I’ll eat just about anything!

While Alexa’s Instagram is definitely worth a visit, you should check out her blog too! She has a restaurant rating system for spots in NYC as well as a few in the Hamptons. The highest rating listed [9.8] is a tie between Carbone and, the bakery that put cronuts on the map, Dominique Ansel.

Many thanks to Alexa! Happy eating, y’all!

Spread kindness and cheer, xo
Jackie

If you know me, you know I love a good milkshake. My love of milkshakes dates back to my childhood when my mom would make me her ‘signature’ chocolate-banana shake topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. I thought it was the best thing ever and it had to be healthy because there was a banana in it…right?? Milkshakes are totally my comfort food. Happy? Sad? Meh? MILKSHAKE!

I discovered a fellow adorer of milkshakes through Instagram: @idrinkmilkshakes. Sam, who started this Instagram about a year ago, is based in Perth, Australia and he’s on a mission to try a milkshake in every country. He now has nearly 7,000 followers which he attributes to people of the world having a passion for milkshakes like he does. I reached out to him and he was kind enough to answer a few questions via email.

What is the BEST milkshake that you’ve tried?

S: The best milkshake I’ve had is from Whisk Creamery in Perth. It has really set a benchmark that I haven’t been able to top!

Sam went back to Whisk Creamery a few months later to find this on the wall:

Pretty cool stuff! Excuse me while I plan a trip to Perth immediately…

I then asked Sam what the most UNIQUE milkshake he’s ever had was:

S: The most unique “milkshake” I’ve tried was from Serendipity 3 in New York. Although not technically a milkshake, the frozen hot chocolate was the most interesting flavour, texture and presentation.

I have always loved milkshakes! Milkshakes bring about a feeling of childhood for me and I definitely feel nostalgic when I drink them, depending on the flavour. – Sam

Do you have a milkshake bucket list?

S: Yes, I do have a milkshake bucket list! I got to tick some off the list when I went to America in February – one of them was the Shake Shack in New York (sadly, it disappointed me). I want to try some milkshakes in the UK eventually because I have a lot of followers and recommendations from there. One specific place I can’t wait to try is the Vogue Cafe in Sydney – luckily I’m going there in August.