While we developed Foodspotting to help users find great dishes around the world, our community all contribute to this idea and expand on it, making Foodspotting an incredibly rich resource. It's one of the greatest things about our jobs: seeing the fascinating ways which you guys use the product.
One emerging trend among Foodspotting users that we love is chefs who spot dishes in the kitchen, which allows them to connect with fans and customers simply by launching our app or uploading a pic to our website. Chefs can showcase their creations in the best light, mere seconds after they finish it.
Chef Simcik, in the kitchen at Atwood Cafe.
One of the forerunners of this trend has been Chef Derek Simcik, executive chef of Atwood Cafe in Chicago who we had the chance to meet during a trip to the Windy City last month. Together with Atwood Cafe GM Damien Palladino, Chef Simcik embraces Foodspotting as a part of how the restaurant communicates with the outside world.
Chef Simcik first started shooting dishes in the kitchen as a documentary tool. Still young in his culinary career, he would shoot just-prepared dishes with a digital SLR and takes notes to remind himself of how he plated dishes, figuring out what worked and what needed improvement.
Chef Simcik spotting a newly created egg dish.
When Damien introduced Foodspotting to Chef Simcik earlier this year, he immediately began posting dishes. Having an all-positive, all-visual platform were some of the key forces at play, and both agreed to quickly move Foodspotting into their social media strategy. Not only are they using Foodspotting to promote Atwood Cafe, but they're avid spotters themselves, often highlighting dishes in other great restaurants in the Chicago area.
Sharing Foodspotting, right on the menu.
Atwood Cafe has completely embraced the Foodspotting community, even providing diners a special Foodspotting Table on request which features the best light in the dining room for better photographs. They were also the first restaurant to host a Foodspotting Week, where foodspotters received a discount on their meal.
Eggs Benedict Trio, a newly concocted dish from Atwood Cafe.
See Foodspotting in play at Atwood Cafe and follow Chef Simcik for dishes he recommends! Last but not least, are you a chef who uses Foodspotting? Or know if your favorite chef is a foodspotter? Let us know, and join Chef Simcik along with some other great chefs, like Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali and Tom Aikens right on Foodspotting.
