After working in television and being among the first to check out Los Angeles’ newest restaurants, Caroline Gelabert-Noh decided to create a space to dish on these fresh finds. Thus, EatDrinkLA was born, and Gelabert-Noh now boasts nearly 5,000 followers who regularly check in on her latest eating escapade. Learn about Caroline Gelabert-Noh…
What inspired you to start your food blog/Web site/account: I was working at the television show “Extra” back in 2011, and I had the opportunity to get a first look at new restaurants that were aiming to get on the show as part of our “Hot Spot” segment. As you might know, “Extra” deals mainly in celebrity news, so if there wasn’t a tie in that way, it generally wouldn’t make the show. I started my website EatDrinkLA as a place to share all the news of those great restaurants to an audience hungry to know what was new and notable – regardless of whether a celebrity ever ate there.
Best hidden food gem in Los Angeles: I like to think of it as uncovering sparkles wherever you go. Recently, I tasted a perfect roast beef sandwich at Garo’s Deli in DTLA and had a lifechanging experience with a jicama salad at a Fabby’s L.A. pop-up last year (the Chef Alejandro Guzman has since gone on to become the executive chef at LA Cha Cha Chá in the Arts District).
Advice for someone looking to build a meaningful digital following: Give it time.
What would you like to see more of in the LA food scene: Baby-friendly happy hours! Parents probably need this more than people in their 20s.
An LA-based chef or restaurateur who inspires you and why: Almost everyone I get a chance to really speak to always inspires me. Opening a restaurant involves taking a chance on yourself, as over 60 percent close within the first year. Every chef has a story and that drive that gets them up in the morning to keep cooking and hope they can nurture a new guest with their food. It’s often repetitious, like being part of a performance. It needs to feel like the first time each time. You can’t do that if you’re not 100 percent invested in the story. And seeing that passion always makes me want to write their story. Digressing a bit from the question, I love being a part of a city where female chefs like Nancy Silverton, Mei Lin, Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne, and Jessica Koslow have all but designed the culinary landscape of this city. You can’t think of Los Angeles without thinking of avocado toast (Koslow); California cuisine (Goin/Styne); mind-blowing pizza and pasta (Silverton); and fried chicken sandwiches and Mapo Tofu (Lin).
Biggest misconception about being a blogger/influencer in the food space: That we eat out all the time. I cook at least four days out of the week for my family. And then it makes us all want to run out to a restaurant and have some really good food.