I believe the term “foodie” is overused these days. With the growing popularity of sites like yelp and digital coupon sites, it’s really easy to eat around and show others that you did just that.

So… In this life that revolves around food, we’re all experienced eaters with our own preferences. Some of us can actually justify why we eat certain things, and maybe we might feel inclined to tell others, perhaps by blogging. So thus this blog exists since I think I have a better… if not different, view on eating and exploring both my local neighborhood and new ones.

When I’m eating out the only thing that I really care about is… that I don’t want to be bullshitted. I want honest food from good people. That’s it. This mindset tends to favor traditional places with time honored recipes. I sure as hell trust the old grandma who can barely speak English over the backward baseball hat wearing douche who puts bland/watery kimchi on dry french fries and calls it a new breakthrough in cuisine.

I believe that good food doesn’t need to be expensive, my favorite restaurants consist of Mexican and Asian places where you can get a mindblowingly flavorful and filling meal for under 10 bucks.

If I pay a lot for a meal, it better damn be worth it. It should bring something to the table that a normal establishment can’t. We can easily fall into this trap of “Oh hey I went out and spent a ton of money on this meal, therefore it’s amazing and note worthy.” But every once in a while, we have to try and take a step back and be like “Was that worth it??” “Was that unique in any way?” And if it wasn’t, train yourself to filter crappy yelp reviews, and try to build up a more solid group of friends who can recommend you places. It’s also a good idea to cook for yourself as you can maybe start to see the difference in skill level between yourself and a skilled chef.

I also like the idea of building a relationship with your local restaurants and businesses. It’s really nice to have a place where you’re welcomed warmly, and can come back to time after time. Whether it be them knowing your preferences, or even giving you a free drink or dish every now and then, the generosity and kindness of local restaurant owners (at least the places that I go back to) is almost unmatched.

One tip, given by my amazing friend Eve, is that if there’s a bar and you’re alone or in a very small party (3~) sit at it. The service will be faster and more attentive. And Let’s face it, we’re all not as interesting as we’d like to be. I hate it when I go to a cool joint and I see a couple awkwardly eating in silence. I find that usually bartenders are interesting and entertaining people, who offer great insight on the menu, and would totally even wingman for you if you’re close enough. Build up that relationship and you’ll be the fucking man.

So am I a foodie? I think I’d be kidding myself if I said I wasn’t. If you liked my ramblings… feel free to come back since I’ll be posting a lot of pictures, and doing write ups as well.