New food photo blogs

[aussiebarracuda]

Hey guys, have just posted some New photo blogs, and we're thinking about encorperating a blog into our website at work... does anyone have any links to restaurants who use blogs to interact with their customers, or any ideas?? Input appreciated.

Cheers

[Pat Churchill]

Where do you source the lovely fresh soy beans??

[Julian Teoh]

The folks who used to be at Keyah Grande (their blog is called Ideas in Food) use blogs to share their ideas and work:

Ideas in Food

And here's one from Margot's in Padstow, UK, a fellow eGullet member:

Margot's

Taillevent has introduced about 4 blogs on their site, from Jean-Claude Vrinat and some of the staff at Les Caves Taillevent, their retail wine operation. However, the blogs aren't purely food-centric:

Taillevent

Hope that helps.

[Shinboners]

and we're thinking about encorperating a blog into our website at work... does anyone have any links to restaurants who use blogs to interact with their customers, or any ideas?? Input appreciated.

Cheers

←

As someone who likes to look at restaurant menus and information via the web, my suggestion would be to keep things as easy for the user to navigate as possible.

A few resturants (Three One Two, Ezards come to mind) overdo it with the flashmedia extravagenzas. I'll even say that Three One Two has the worst website because it is the least user friendly....you have to scan the page to find the menu, contact details etc. - they only appear when your pointer hits the correct area.

On the other hand, I really like the Pearl website. It's elegant, easy to navigate, and it showcases what the restaurant has to offer.

So, if your web designer is showing you all these wizz bang features that you can put onto your blog, step back and think about whether it's going to waste the time of your readers. After all, these websites are essentially marketing exercises, and as a website developer told me recently, if you don't grab people in the first few seconds, they'll be off to check out something else.

[Piglit]

Shinboners, I'm with you --> Ezard website is awful! I've thought about eating there are few times now, but everytime I open the website I get too frustrated to even bother!

Jamie Oliver has a blog: http://www.jamieoliver.com/diary/ as does Bobby Flay http://bobbyflay.com/ask-bobby.asp .

A few other restaurant blogs:

http://www.knifesedge.typepad.com/

http://www.emerils.com/cooking/index.html

[Pat Churchill]

So often the web designers have these fantastic ideas that whizz along fine when all the stuff is cached on their computer. But log in to the site on a slow connection and you could have been to the restaurant and had dinner by the time you've found your way round. And I hate websites that play music! Specially when I am surfing at midnight and I've forgotten to turn the volume down.

[ludja]

Hey guys, have just posted some New photo blogs, and we're thinking about encorperating a blog into our website at work... does anyone have any links to restaurants who use blogs to interact with their customers, or any ideas?? Input appreciated.

Cheers

←

Here is a nice one I just ran across in reading mizducky's recent eGullet foodblog: The Linkery

The Linkery is a restaurant in San Diego that specializes in homemade sausages and wurst. They have a website for the restaurant and from there you can click on a link that takes you to their blog. I think their blog is pretty great. It covers a bunch of local and regional food issues in addition to updates on new things happening at their restaurant.

edited to add: The photos that you linked are very nice!

Edited March 29, 2007 by ludja (log)

[Portia_Smith]

I really like the idea of a blog being part of the venue's website 'experience'. It makes me feel like I'll be visiting somewhere with a person who is committed and passionate about food and wants to share.

HOWEVER. Please, please, please make sure if you proceed with a blog that it is regularly updated! There is nothing more annoying than a website that is out of date - ie, the christmas and new year's menus are still up at easter. This would be even worse in a blog somehow.

Also - my 2 cents worth. Make usability/accessibility of the site the priority - remember not everyone has broadband. Minimal flash, Minimal multimedia stuff. All I want is a menu, some pictures, a map and prices. And all up to date! I really REALLY hate music on websites.

OMG. I've just looked at Sault's website and i'm very much looking forward to trying the food when i visit the parentskis back in central victoria next month!!

[Ylee]

Great photos (and commentary), and I like the idea of restaurants using blogs... or even eGullet forums, like Alinea did when they started up.

[aussiebarracuda]

Hey guys, apologies on the late replies, and a big thank you to all the input, i just haven't had the time to reply. We've been in the process of building a new website with out web designer which should be up soon! , just holding off on the blog at this stage to concentrate on other priorities at the moment.

Pat,

The soy beans believe it or not can be bought frozen from KFL supermarkets, they are unbelievable quality, and only around $1 or so a packet. I can get them fresh through my veg supplier with reasonable notice. Though this lot was bought on impulse for a special.

Cheers Guys!!