Syracuse University is known for many things, but one that may be the best-kept secret is the abundance of food influencers that graduated from here! These famous food bloggers that went to Syracuse University have shared a ton of their favorite food spots with us, so I'm here to show them some love and appreciation!
Natalie Landsberg @new_fork_city
Natalie Landsberg and her two friends, Gillian Presto and Emily Morse, started their Instagram account, NewForkCity, as Upper East side, high school students. Growing up in one of the food capitals of the world, the girls were definitely on to something when they started documenting all the mouthwatering food they were able to eat during their lunch breaks. Having created the account as a hobby, these three girls shocked the entire island of Manhattan when it started acclimating hundreds of thousands of followers.
Today, the account has over 950,000 followers and over 3,500 posts. They describe NewForkCity as a “profitable, revenue-generating business, partnering with exceptional multi-national brands, local restaurants, and food vendors.” Aside from the account itself, their hashtag #newforkcity boasts 1,300,000 submissions on its own, allowing the account to continue to grow with submissions from other NYC foodies. The girls have even gotten some press coverage from the account with features in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, London Times, Refinery29, and Cosmopolitan. So yeah, its dope that these girls got super famous taking pictures of delicious food but why should you care? CAUSE NATALIE LANDSBERG IS A MEMBER OF OUR ORANGE NATION THAT’S WHY. She’s a 2018 graduate and is living everyone’s dream of eating amazing food and getting paid to do it, and I am here to tell you that if she can do it, there’s hope for all of us.
Carly Shapiro @sistersnacking
Carly Shapiro, also a 2018 ‘cuse graduate, currently spends some of her time helping run Sistersnacking with her 3 sisters. (Honestly, is there anything more wholesome than getting to eat what you love with the people you love? I think not.) Because three out of four sisters are currently living in New York, NY, you can count on sistersnacking to make your mouth water with beautiful pictures of some of the best food New York City has to offer. The account occasionally throws in a picture from the food scene in Glastonbury, CT, where the last sister still lives.
While NewForkCity definitely appeals to its viewers’ sweet tooth with posts of delectable desserts, Sistersnacking makes us envious with their mostly savory content. Currently racking in almost 20,000 followers and 990 posts and trying food all over the different areas in the city, it’s safe to say that these four sisters have definitely made their NYC food Instagram account a very successful family affair. If you ever find yourself roaming the streets of NYC, lost and unaware of where to get an instagramable, delicious meal, I highly recommend supporting your fellow Otto’s Army member, Carly, and drawing inspiration from any of the many drool-worthy photos on sistersnacking.
Marla Meridith marlameridith.com
Marla Meridith graduated from SU in 1992 with a degree in advertising and started her food blog, originally named Family Fresh Cooking, 17 years after graduating. Marla uses her blog as an outlet to share her passion for food and cooking and has now transformed it into a lifestyle brand! She credits her children for getting food to be one of the main focuses in her life again, so I guess we should probably thank them for all of the unique, yummy recipes on her blog. With everything from Maple Pecan Morning Muffins to Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings, if there’s a food you’re dreaming of, she’s got a recipe for it! AND not only is she a flavor genius, but Marla takes some damn pretty pictures if you ask me.
Reading her blog and browsing her recipes was a lot of fun and a bit gave Marla a bit of distinction from the other food bloggers I researched because not only does she give you photo inspiration, but she teaches you how to impress all your friends with some gourmet cooking skillz. Sooo if you’re ever stuck on what to make for dinner, check out Marla’ blog, maybe you’ll channel your inner chef and make something pretty enough to post (Hello food blogging fame, here you come!)
Carly Dossick, Bria Donahue, Emily Kilman and Halle Tucker @syrachews
Do you ever find yourself on campus, bundled in bed, knowing you’re hungry but not knowing what you’re craving? Well, when you decide Ernie isn’t cutting it for you, draw some inspo from Syrachews. Not only are these girls punny af, but they know how to eat. And they wanna share all their favorite spots in Syracuse (and occasionally their hometowns) to do it! Currently, all sophomores at SU, Carly, Bria, Emily, and Halle are doing the research to find the best places in the Central New York Area to get hibachi, a hot dog, and bagels. (As a native to the North Shore of Long Island, I want to thank these girls personally for sharing the treasure of Water Street Bagel Co., I was actually starting to feel seriously ill without decent bagels). Not only are they trekking the miles off campus, but their account also features some places to get the yummiest food on campus (s/o Faculty we all love you). Having started the account in September of 2017 as freshman, the girls now have over 700 followers and 173 posts, and while they haven’t reached superstardom yet, they are definitely on their way there with their delectable looking photos.