Chefs & Restaurateurs Dish on Neighborhoods, Social Media
“Everyone wrote off Adams Morgan, but it’s coming back the same way DC is coming back; we’re having an eating renaissance.” Those thoughts are from Saied Azali (owner of Perry’s and Mintwood Place) during Industree’s Heart of the House discussion at The Loft at 600 F St. Saied is gearing up to open Convivial with Cedric Maupillier this year. When conversation shifted to press, Ashok Bajaj of Knightsbridge Restaurant Group gave a nod to bloggers. “There are so many blogs now and I think it’s wonderful because we’re not just relying on one food critic.” We snapped the first panel of moderator Nevin Martell, Roberto Donna, Ashok and Saied.
Next up: A panel with Michael Schlow, Ari Gejdenson, David Guas and Barry Koslow that focused on social media. “I’m always in training, just trying to catch up,” says Bayou Bakery’s David Guas. He also shared the worst thing that’s happened to him on social media: “Someone reminded me that Elvis is dead because of my chops,” he jokes. Tico's Michael Schlow touched on the enigmatic side of social media. “It’s confusing what resonates with the public,” he says. “Great social media skills don’t always equate to asses in seats.” Barry and Ari are less engaged online. “You can’t ignore social media, but I’d rather be in the kitchen cooking and let someone else handle it.” Restaurants today wrestle with managing accounts in house or farming the task out to experts.
