by Krishanna
1. October 2009 05:12
By Chuck Sudo
Chicago Sun-Times
By the time I've brewed my morning coffee at 7 a.m., Carl Galvan has been Twittering for close to three hours.
Galvan, a sales representative at Supreme Lobster & Seafood in
Villa Park, uses the messaging service Twitter to post photos of fish
and other seafood Supreme is offering and to interact with chefs
interested in placing orders based on those photos.
Chef Homaro Cantu takes a break from the kitchen
at moto, 945 W. Fulton, to tap on his iPhone. Cantu's entire staff use
iPhones to track diners in the restaurant who Twitter during their
meal, some of whom might get a surprise treat at the chef's whim.
He isn't alone. As technology has made communication easier and
faster, a growing number of chefs and others in the food industry have
taken to social media services such as Twitter and Facebook to promote
themselves and their projects, interact with customers and fans, offer
special promotions -- or just see what all the fuss is about.
Others have taken to setting up their own blogs or writing blogs for
larger media groups, such as Alinea's Grant Achatz, who routinely files
posts for the Atlantic Monthly's food blog.
Still, some chefs, including Blackbird's Paul Kahan, have been slow to embrace social media.
Kahan's publicist Ellen Malloy thinks perception is part of what's holding them back.
"They actually don't think anyone cares about what they have to
say," Malloy says. "They couldn't be more wrong. People are salivating
for their words and thoughts almost more than for their food."
Read the rest...
Photo: Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times
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