Almost 50 percent of Instagram users say they’re interested in food/drink, according to the analysts at Business of Apps. And 100 percent of Instagram users consume food/drink, according to the analysts at Basic Common Sense.
So, how does one sort through Instagram’s thousands of gustatorial graphics to find a few that actually interest them? Check out these three local ’grammers for the best of what’s around.—Shea Gibbs
@cville.foodie
Rachel and Nick Buccola wanted to help area restaurants. With their social media savvy and business acumen, they figured they could drive traffic to local diners deserving of more attention. The idea came to them long before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rachel, a digital marketing manager for the Seraphic Group, and Nick, a Lawrence Companies national account manager, launched @cville.foodie on Instagram in April 2017. The spouses had just moved to Charlottesville from Washington, D.C., and were instantly intrigued by their new city’s vibrant, tight-knit food scene.
With a mix of homemade dishes and local restaurant spotlights, Cville.Foodie keeps the focus on the food, with Rachel and Nick (who does all the cooking) content to stay behind the camera. The strategy’s helped the couple grow their following to more than 3,500 and attract dozens of comments on each and every pic they post.
“We really try to engage with other foodies in Charlottesville,” Rachel says. “We try to ask questions when they comment or comment back…It’s all about keeping your audience intrigued.”
REGULAR ROTATION
Lampo Neapolitan Pizzeria: “Our favorite pizza place, and they now do takeout because of COVID.”
Feast!: “They have amazing sandwiches.”
Ivy Provisions: “Every single Saturday.”
Sussex Farm (Mama Bird): “The kimchi pancake wraps, the dumpling soups—
everything they make is incredible.”
Ten: “There are so many good places in town. Ten is just amazing sushi.”
@rationsandoldfashioneds
The Charlottesville foodstagram space isn’t crowded, but those with the biggest followings tend to bump into each other. Rarely does RationsAndOldFashioneds miss the chance to like a photo from Cville.Foodie, for example.
“We interact with people and have other foodies and other Instagrammers that we follow,” says Kevin Wyatt, half of the duo that makes up RationsAndOldFashioneds. “We try to always respond to people, and we personalize our recommendations.”
Across the virtual dining table from Wyatt, who’s directing the UVA hospital expansion as a contractor with Corbett Technology Solutions, sits Stephanie Henderson, an HR consultant. The couple says they found each other through their infatuation with fine cuisine.
“We legitimately and seriously bonded over food,” Henderson says. “If we are taking a vacation, the first thing we think about is where we are going to eat and what we are going to make. We’re both very adventurous.”
The couple’s willingness to try new things and put their personalities on display have brought RationsAndOldFashioneds a good deal of success. Wyatt and Henderson have more than 5,000 followers and rarely post a photo drawing fewer than 400 likes.
A FEW FAVES
The Alley Light: “They’re taking very good precautions, and the cocktails and food are awesome.”
Tilman’s: “We love the cheese plates, soups, the really fun wines…We just love how casual it is.”
Chimm: “It’s super fresh. It’s our go-to place for Thai and Vietnamese.”
Public Fish & Oyster: “The service is great, and it takes out very well.”
MarieBette Café & Bakery: “They have the best breakfast sandwiches and make a mean matcha latte.”
@n.o.m.s.piration
For Jannatul Pramanik, a love of food and photography came together naturally to create @n.o.m.s.piration. Premanik is often lugging her SLR camera around when she happens by restaurants, so snapping snazzy photos is a cinch. She started posting the pics to her personal Instagram years ago, but her friends were like, whoa girl.
“It went hand-in-hand. I was out eating food, I would have my camera, and it just made sense to journal the foods I was eating,” Pramanik says. “Now it has grown into a big thing, and having all these followers, I get to think about supporting local business, especially local businesses owned by people of color.”
Pramanik, who graduated from UVA in 2016 and earned her masters in 2017, says she’s increasingly trying to feature the folks behind the savory scenes she posts to the ’gram. She coordinates multicultural student services at the university, so she’s drawn to the diverse stories she finds in food, as well.
n.o.m.s.piration’s followers today amount to nearly 3,000, and Pramanik’s photos often get praise for their style and composition. The pandemic has limited her culinary outings, but she says she’s found some great stories around the City Market. “The farmers’ market has been a cool way to engage with the scene, but doing it outdoors,” she says.
FOODIE FINDS
Pearl Island Cafe: “Stewed Oxtail Platter…with rice, pigeon peas, pikliz, plantains, and kale salad.”
Sussex Farm (Mama Bird): “Bulgogi and cheese rice balls and Chonggak-kimchi.”
Chimm: “Kao soi.”
Al Carbon: ”Pollo Al Carbon Platter. [It] comes with sides and a sauce—I usually get it with the arroz poblano and jalapeño cilantro sauce.”
Afghan Kabob: “Chicken tandoori—comes with seasoned rice, salad, a side of veggies, and naan—and the bolanee kachalow.”
