Vague memories from the Food & Wine Classic that recently wrapped up here in Aspen from where I write: the girl at the table next to me telling her companion that she used to have sex with Bobby Flay in the bathroom of the restaurant at which we were dining; me getting so drunk on some rare scotch that, after the event, I walked into a store, tried a dress on, and decided I needed it before hearing the salesgirl say, “Honey, I think you have that on inside-out”; watching my friend get hit on by one of the dudes from Naughty By Nature (“Do you have a boyfriend?” “No.” “Then, girl, you are in trouble”).
The weekend wasn’t, however, just a good laugh. Meandering through the Grand Tasting, glass of wine in hand, I found myself honestly wishing I were more versed in the vocabulary of good food and fine wine. And it was then I decided that it was finally time to make my New Year’s resolution: I, too, would fashion myself into an amateur foodie.
Since I can’t really afford to go out to eat, I (of course) headed to the Internet to start my self-taught course on food and wine appreciation. And so I discovered Restaurant Girl. A food writer in New York, her coverage is limited to the eating scene in the Big Apple. But really that just kills two birds with one stone (and plates them impeccably): I get to learn about food and get a taste of the big city at the same time.
I know nothing about food in New York, but reading Restaurant Girl’s posts makes me feel like a total insider. Wondering where to get a killer mojito? Just ask me! It’s at Little Branch, on Seventh Avenue at Leroy Street. What was the biggest culinary disappointment of last year? Oh, honey, Buddha Bar. Boo hiss. What cheese goes well with a dry Sauvignon Blanc? Well, a Humboldt Fog, duh.
Because she’s a writer, the prose is—pardon the pun—icing on the cake. Readable, light and accessible for an easily-intimidated amateur such as myself. Clearly, I have a long way to go before the “foodie” distinction is mine to add to my resume, but Restaurant Girl is as good a place as any to start.