Robert Sietsema on Chowhound: "The website that helped shape our modern food obsession"

Regional Dining Discussions New York City
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Interesting perspective on how influential he thinks Chowhound was at lifting local spots to fame and fortune:

He first told me about Sripraphai in 1996, when it was a tiny Thai bakery in Woodside, with a reach-in case of salads, noodles, and desserts and no seating. He talked the place up until it evolved into the sprawling restaurant complex it is today.

Di Fara Pizza was another find he raved about on Chowhound, a neighborhood pizzeria that would have been of no particular interest other than for its isolated locale in Midwood and quirky owner. The first time he took me in the late 90s, I told him, “Jim, I could point to 20 other neighborhood pizzerias within a three-mile radius that are just as good.”

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That was a great read, thank you for posting.

Mainly I wanted to see if the Arepa Lady made an appearance. Back then I did not know what an arepa was, but I always wanted to drive out to Queens and get one.

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I enjoyed that, thanks!

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I remember Leff’s Chowhound “manifesto”. A bigger load of pretentious tosh I cannot recall reading anywhere. Mercifully, in my experience, few users of the site took such an elitist view of eating.

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Yeah, I joined in 2006, when apparently not a single member had any idea what they were talking about anymore :roll_eyes: — at least according to RS.

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