If you can’t eat all the delicious food in the world on a regular basis, why not indulge in some jaw-dropping food photography? Junior Gabrielle Aaron runs a food-oriented Instagram account, @letsgababoutfood, primarily featuring the best of the best in NYC and St. Louis. Followers can not only gawk at the drool-worthy food porn, but can also look to Gabrielle for restaurant and dish suggestions. With dreams of opening her own restaurant one day, Gabrielle is passionate about cooking, eating and all things food, and you can certainly trust her advice when it comes to recommendations. Warning: the following interview will make you extremely hungry.
Hometown: I grew up in Brookville, Long Island but I now live in NYC.
Major: Psychology
Minors: Marketing & Children’s Studies
On-campus involvement: AEPhi and Chabad. I had plans to join other things… oops.
1. Why did you start your food Instagram? Did something in particular spark your interest? I started my food Instagram because my friends would always make fun of the fact that my personal Instagram was all food. So, instead of having to feel badly about posting my breakfast, lunch and dinner, I started my own food Instagram account. Plus, I’m definitely one of those people that lives to eat and am obsessed with good food, particularly sweets, so I figured why not share my delicious food with the social media world?
2. What inspires your posts? Generally really well plated food. I like to follow the trends and see if all the hype is real (usually it is besides Tompkins Square Bagels… that was a huge letdown). Get ready- there will be a blog soon to express how I really feel about all my posted foods.
3. Favorite restaurant ever? Well, I love Tao Downtown NYC. Their lobster fried rice and sushi rolls are amazing, but I also really enjoy Laconda Verde. The food is clean and perfect. The bread even comes with a salted ricotta cheese spread with honey. Yum.
4. Favorite restaurant in STL? Tough question… I have so many! For steak: 801 Chophouse (Sunday $33 special is perfect for me). For brunch: Crepes Etc. Those pancakes, French toast sticks and even their sandwiches on buttery toasted bread are one of my guilty pleasures. Russell’s on Macklind is also incredible. The gooey butter bar is amazing. For lunch or dinner, my new obsession is the Goji Bowl (no red sauce) from Seoul Taco. The hype is real.
5. Do you want to pursue a food-related career? I would love to one day be featured on or work for Scripps (they own The Food Network). I really enjoy exploring a lot of food choices. I would also love to open a restaurant one day.
6. Can you cook? Yes, I cook very cleanly so I don’t use a lot of butter or anything. My food is not the type of cooking that you run home to Mom and Dad for. I love to make soup from vegetables and vegetable stock. Just a tip: Cauliflower acts like cream and flour for taste and thickness in soup. I also really like to make Parmesan crusted chicken with a quinoa salad.
7. What is your favorite type of food? Bagels, pizza, pasta, cakes… really anything with gluten (which I sadly cannot eat).
8. The perfect dinner date spot in STL? Definitely I Fratellini on Wydown.
9. So you’re spending the semester at NYU. How do you think this will affect your Instagram posts? I have lots of plans to explore all of NYC and start my food blog and possibly a website too. Stay tuned.
10. What is your ultimate guilty pleasure? French fries, well done. Waffle fries are easily the key to my heart. I also love LOVE dessert. That’s always a downfall for any “diet” I pursue.