We don’t just work with food and beverage brands—we live and breathe the culinary world in our personal lives too, at least in my case. So, when we have to keep up with the latest trends or news outlets for our clients, it’s truly a labor of love. Whether it’s trolling Instagram for inspiration, or reading the latest issue of bon appétit for research, we always have our eye out for what’s up and coming. With 2017 coming to a close and the New Year upon us, we’re sharing the top foodie sites to watch (and drool over) in 2018 and beyond.
Extra Crispy holds breakfast and brunch in high regard (as they should) and is dishing out everything from recipes and videos to trends and drinks. It even ponders questions you’ve always wanted to know, but never bothered to find the answers to. For instance, have you ever wondered what’s in your childhood favorite Kraft Mac & Cheese or the oh-so-gooey middle to Pillsbury Toaster Strudel? Well, you’re in luck because the site breaks it down. And from personal experience, even after finding out the answer, I’ll probably continue to eat it because knowledge is power.
The site’s punchy tone makes it fun and easy to read, plus you’ll get a kick out of its sections. How could you not love a site that has a section dedicated to all things bacon? I repeat—BACON! That should be reason enough.
Atlas Obscura’s new food section, Gastro Obscura, is just like the name says: obscure food and culture. The site just recently launched, and is already making waves with its devotion to wonder and curiosity. No recipes, restaurant reviews, profiles on celebrity chefs or food trends can be found here. Instead, take a deep dive into awe-inspiring parts of the food world. Look at what makes the bagel a trendy, foreign food in Israel; how the Vietnamese egg coffee was invented; or Halo-Halo, the frozen dessert and flavors that represent Filipino history.
What sets the site apart is that readers can create a profile to keep track of the unusual things they’ve eaten or wanted to try. Later down the road, they’ll be able to add their own entries and contribute just like on Atlas Obscura. It’s a great way to crowd-source information and find new and exciting things to add to your list.
Out of Office has one mission: to spark food-and-travel inspiration for your next vacation. The name alone is pretty great—not to mention that Americans notoriously leave so much unused vacation time on the table at the end of the year. So to have a site to inspire you to take a trip, I’m all for it. Readers will find in-depth stories from every aspect of the food-and-travel world. Find out how travel has changed in the age of a new president, about cruises geared toward millennials, why Iceland is one of the healthiest countries in the world, and much more.
An offshoot of VICE, MUNCHIES is a website and digital video channel dedicated to everything food. Through videos, articles, features, recipes, how-to’s and events, the site is a gastronome’s dream, delivering the latest and greatest with a global influence. MUNCHIES provides a culinary experience through the voice of home cooks, chefs, restaurants and politics. This is more than just your average food website.
I like to think of Infatuation as being on the same playing field as Eater. Both are equally helpful, but Infatuation is on the up and up, with its countless reviews and guides to finding the best restaurants that suit your needs (e.g., birthday, first date, parents in town, etc.). What’s great is that this is far more than just a website—it’s a newsletter, an app and it sends text recommendations too. Not to mention the various Instagram accounts solely dedicated to the best tacos, burgers and avocado toast, in addition to specific cities. It never accepts free meals, special treatment or compensation, so you know everything it writes is truly their opinion.
Have a foodie site we should keep an eye out for in 2018? Make sure to share in the comments below.
