Who to follow on Twitter: 140 Restaurants and Foodies

by Zaggat Staff

Not sure who to follow in the foodie Twitterverse? Check out our indispensable guide to 140 must-read accounts, including chefs, food media and restaurants.

Chefs

@akasharichmond: Akasha Richmond – If you’ve ever been curious about what the chef-owner of a popular restaurant does during her off-time, follow the LA-based Richmond to find out (and enjoy some solid retweets along the way).

@alpanasingh: Alpana Singh – Get recommended wines and pairings from this Chicago-based master sommelier working for Lettuce Wine Cellars. Champagne and freshly made spiced pork rinds, anyone?

@angeloasosa: Angelo Sosa – The former Top Chef-testant and Social Eatz chef-owner in NYC loves his exclamation points and is known for tweeting pics of dishes and sending updates from restaurants all over the country.

@betterdrinking: Derek Brown – This DC writer and bartender tweets quite a few photos. You won’t mind though (unless you’re hungry), cause whether it’s Bloody Marys or baklava, they’re all attractive.

@bflay: Bobby Flay – The Food Network star and Iron Chef tweets fairly often about news from his empire and what he’s eating. Just be aware: he describes his Twitterverse as a “no-hater zone.”

@BryanVoltaggio: Bryan Voltaggio – Chef-owner of Maryland’s Volt, this Top Chef alum keeps fans updated on the latest news abpit both his and brother Michael’s restaurants.

@ChaseRabenn: Chase Rabenn – Follow the assistant beer director at Colicchio & Sons for news about the Craft empire and the food industry, and to keep up with his late-night gallivanting.

@chefartsmith: Art Smith – Expect a lot of fan retweets from Table Fifty-two‘s Chicago-based chef, along with regular updates about his travels and favorite places on the road.

@Chefbianco: Michael White – The executive chef-owner of NYC’s Marea, Osteria Morini and Ai Fiori is known for tweeting photos from the kitchen.

@chefjohnnymac: Jonathan Adams – Lots of chefs share blurry photos of their food, but after seeing some of the gorgeous pics from Philly’s Pub & Kitchen chef, it’s clear his skills extend past the kitchen.

@chefLevin: Matt Levin – Formerly of Adsum, this Philly chef is working on a new hush-hush project, but in the meantime, he’s sharing travel plans, meals and, in one case, his controversial tattoo. If you’re not a foie gras fan, move along!

@chefludo: Ludo Lefebvre – The French-born chef-owner behind the roving pop-up restaurant LudoBites(and its accompanying TV show) is known for his love of exclamation points and for asking tweeps to guess where he is by sending Twitpics.

@chefmichaelmina: Michael Mina – This busy restaurateur is usually on-the-go, but luckily for his fans, fairly regular updates make him easy enough to track.

@ChefRyanPoli: Ryan Poli – If you want to know where chefs eat, the chef-partner behind Chicago’sTavernita isn’t afraid to share. Find out his favorite restaurants and more.

@chefspike: Spike Mendelsohn – This Top Chefalum and DC-based chef keeps fans in the know on happenings at his DC restaurant, Good Stuff Eatery.

@chefsymon: Michael Symon – This Midwest-based Iron Chef is not afraid to speak his mind in his tweets, and he’s quick to respond to fans and, more recently, some haters.

@cheftimlove: Tim Love – This Lonesome Dove chef-owner is based in Texas but tweets often with news and opinions about happenings in the food industry and beyond.

@craigstoll: Craig Stoll – The humble show-runner of SF’s Delfina shows the human side of being an in-demand chef. Reading he got tongue-tied around Lorne Michaels? Endearing.

@DaleTalde: Dale Talde – The former Top Chef star is getting ready to launch his own restaurant, Talde, in Brooklyn, and his tweets, while often pithy and contentious, are always entertaining.

@davidbouley: David Bouley – This legendary chef-owner of several restaurants in NYC is known to tweet pictures and news from within the Bouley empire.

@davidchang: David Chang – This chef-owner of the Momofuku restaurants in NYC is not afraid to speak his mind/start feuds via Twitter and definitely not afraid of expletives.

@dcpatterson: Daniel Patterson – By following this San Francisco–based Coi chef, you’ll probably learn something new. Did you know burnt fig leaf oil tastes like coconut? We didn’t…

@ericripert: Eric Ripert – This executive chef of Le Bernardin in NYC is outspoken in many of his tweets, and never fails to keeps fans updated on the latest industry news and goings-on at his restaurant.

@FrenchChefWife: Krissy Lefebvre – Wife of Ludo Lefebvre (and his TV co-star), Krissy is great at keeping fans updated on the latest Ludo Bites-related news, and for making funny, subtle digs at her husband.

@gilescoren: Giles Coren – Peppered with colorful language, this outspoken London Times critic, novelist and TV presenter doesn’t censor himself when it comes to musings on restaurants, daily life and television.

@giuseppetentori: Giuseppe Tentori – This Chicago-based chef tweets often about dishes he’s creating at his two restaurants, Boka and GT Fish & Oyster.

@GordonRamsay01: Gordon Ramsay- For someone so tough on camera, it’s a bit entertaining to see Gordo use so many cutesy exclamation points in response to the many questions he answers on Twitter. Better than caps lock we suppose…

@grahamelliot: Graham Elliot – This Chicago-based toque and MasterChef star is great at responding to tweets from fans, although don’t expect him to follow you back – he currently follows a total of zero tweeps.

@guarnaschelli: Alex Guarnaschelli – The Food Network star and chef-owner of NYC’s Butter is an active and humorous tweeter, keeping followers briefed on what she’s eating and doing at all times.

@heartyboys: Stephen McDonagh – By following this Chicago chef, you’ll find out the latest on the Hearty Boys restaurant and the personal life he shares with partner, Dan Smith.

@HughAcheson: Hugh Acheson – Based in Athens, GA, this Top Chef Masters alum and upcoming judge onTop Chef season nine is as hilarious on Twitter as he is on TV.

@Ilanhall: Ilan Hall – Not only will you learn about the two LA restaurants this Top Chef winner is involved in –The Gorbals and Urbano Pizza Bar – you’ll also discover some pretty amusing details about him, including the fact that he’s not afraid to admit he listens to Ace of Base. Respect.

@jamieoliver: Jamie Oliver – This quirky British chef is known for his admirable food crusading and somewhat hyper tweeting style.

@jenyeepastry: Jennifer Yee – Employed as pastry chef at NYC’s Sho Shaun Hergatt, Lee provides tips on recipes she’s working on, as well as sneak peeks at dishes she’s testing. Uh, duck fat caramels? Yes please.

@Johnny_Iuzzini: Johnny Iuzzini – Pastry chef and head judge on Top Chef Just Desserts, Johnny is known for his frequent and enthusiastic tweets.

@johnthebristol: John Ross – Find out the specials being served at Chicago’s The Bristol on any given night from this partner at the restaurant.

@ksbraga: Kevin Sbraga – This season seven Top Chef winner is gearing up to open his own restaurant – here’s your inside look.

@leeannewong: Lee Anne Wong – Look for informative and always amusing tweets from this Top Chef star (who’s now a culinary producer for the show).

@MarcForgione: Marc Forgione – If you want to see some snapshots of good-looking food, follow this Iron Chef, also the owner of NYC’s Marc Forgione.

@marcieturney: Marcie Turney – Follow the culinary adventures of the chef at Philly’s Barbuzzo, Lolita and more, and, yes, expect a lot of tweets about her famous budino.

@MarcoCanora: Marco Canora – This chef-owner of NYC’s Hearth and Terroir is great to follow for news about his many restaurants.

@MarcusCooks: Marcus Samuelsson – If you don’t get enough of him on TV, his active Twitter habit should keep you more than satisfied. Find recipes and a load of photos, and track his daily whereabouts.

@Marcvetri: Marc Vetri – The chef-owner of Philly’s Vetri refers to himself on Twitter as simply “dude,” and is known for tweeting food stats, pictures of dishes and tidbits about his guitar-playing lifestyle.

@Mariobatali: Mario Batali – The NY-based star chef’s tweets and foursquare check-ins are some of the most entertaining in the foodie Twitterverse.

@mendezmusings: Liz Mendez – Ever wonder what it’s like to open a restaurant? Follow the owner and sommelier of Chicago’s upcoming Uva, who peppers updates about the project with unrelated sports commentary.

@michaelschlow: Michael Schlow – Another one to follow for a mix of sports commentary and food is this Boston-based chef, who does his thing at Radius, Via Matta.

@mlaiskonis: Michael Laiskonis – The next best thing to dining at NYC’s Le Bernardin? Getting insights from its kitchen, straight from the restaurant’s premier pastry chef.

@mreddiehuang: Eddie Huang – The owner of NYC’s BaoHaus (and Zagat 30-Under-30 winner) is notorious for his hilarious tweets about everything from the food industry to music to sports.

@mvoltaggio: Michael Voltaggio – Receive updates about this heavily tattooed Top Chef winner’s new LA restaurant Ink as well as personal insights like “4 AM is the new 10 PM.” We’ll take his word for it…

@NoReservations: Anthony Bourdain – This chef, author and TV star is notorious for his acid tongue and “unintentional” trouble-making.

@PaulKahan: Paul Kahan – Though this partner at Chicago’s Blackbird has a love/hate relationship with social media, it doesn’t stop him from posting the occassional photo update.

@PhillipFoss: Phillip Foss – The outspoken chef-owner of EL Ideas shares drool-worthy dish descriptions, but doesn’t shy away from admitting more personal things about himself, like how he enjoys watching Devil Wears Prada.

@raymond_blanc: Raymond Blanc – Follow the chef of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and prepare to feel envy over his lifestyle, diet and talent.

@RichardBlais: Richard Blais – The spiky-haired Top Chef alum and Atlanta-based chef is known for tweeting pics of his wildly inventive dishes.

@Rick_Bayless: Rick Bayless – Warning, the photos posted by this Chicago-based Mexican specialist will make you hungry. Fortunately, the recipes he shares mean you can do something about it.

@StephAndTheGoat: Stephanie Izard – Stay briefed on industry happenings as well as what’s going on at thisTop Chef winner’s Chicago restaurant, Girl & the Goat.

@tiffanifaison: Tiffani Faison – Another Top Chef vet, Faison is working on opening her new Boston BBQ spot, Sweet Cheeks. Look for entertaining updates here.

@tomcolicchio: Tom Colicchio – Executive chef-owner of the Craft empire and Top Chef host, his Twitter antics include sending politically charged tweets and then deleting them.

Writers and Bloggers

@akuban: Adam Kuban – An original founding editor of Serious Eats, Kuban is also the founding editor ofSlice and A Hamburger Today. If you’re a fan of pizza or burgers, you’ll want to follow his feed.

@always_eating: Aaron Ginsberg – Wondering where you should go to dinner in New York? Follow the feed of this in-the-know executive working in food PR, whose tweets go way beyond his clients.

@amandahesser: Amanda Hesser – A food columnist at the New York Times and founder of the websiteFood 52, Hesser tweets about everything from good meals that she’s had to playdates with her children.

@amateurgourmet: Adam Roberts – Author of The Amateur Gourmet, recent Los Angeles transplant Adam Roberts uses his Twitter feed to chronicle his adventures in the kitchen and his travels to LA restaurants.

@amycao: Amy Cao – The head of community for Foodspotting tweets her heart out during mealtime. She is big into @ replies, so if you need a recommendation, just tap her on the digital shoulder.

@AndrewOKnowlton: Andrew Knowlton – The Restaurant and Drinks Editor of Bon Appetit magazine has no problem with calling out inane PR pitches or the questionable lunch choices of his co-workers on his feed, which also delves into subjects ranging from new beers he’s tried to interesting dishes he encounters at restaurants.

@benleventhal: Ben Leventhal – As co-founder of Eater and top brass at Feast, Leventhal’s got the inside track on many of NYC’s restaurant power-players.

@blondiebrownie: Blondie & Brownie – From the minds behind the Blondie and Brownie blog, this Twitter account chronicles the culinary adventures of “two friends who eat a lot of food.” You probably shouldn’t read this one if you’re hungry.

@chefswidow: Chef’s Widow – The author of the Chefs Widow blog shares her thoughts about food, but she also chronicles her love of karaoke and penchant for music by artists like Duffy.

@davidlebovitz: David Lebovitz – If you’ve got a sweet tooth, this pastry-chef-turned-author-and-blogger is worth a bite or two.

@devrafirst: Devra First – Get your fill of the Boston dining scene from the Globe’s critic.

@edlevine: Ed Levine – The founder of Serious Eats is really good at making his Twitter followers jealous with updates on all the amazing food he gets to try. Stay tuned for tales of awesome burgers, amazing hot dogs and perfect pizza. Drool.

@EricAsimov: Eric Asimov – The resident wine expert at the New York Times, Asimov shares his thoughts on interesting vintages and obscure labels. Blaufränkisch, anyone?

@food52: Food52 – This Twitter feed is used to highlight content on Amanda Hesser’s excellent website,Food52. Home cooks will want to keep an eye out for the recipes that are constantly put out over the transom.

@foodimentary: Foodimentary – Get your fill of choice quotes and fun facts about everything food-related – who knew Starbucks uses 2% of the nation’s milk supply?

@Francis_Lam: Francis Lam – This former Salon.com writer is now penning pieces for deal site Gilt Taste. His Twitter account features discussion-provoking questions (i.e. “Does a burger need cheese to be truly complete?”) and thoughts about his favorite football team, the Chargers.

@FrankBruni: Frank Bruni – Bruni was the restaurant critic at the New York Times when blogs and social media became very influential in the food world. Although he has moved on to the Op-Ed desk, he still tweets frequently about his favorite meals and food shops.

@fwscout: Dana Cowin – Food & Wine‘s editor-in-chief shares tips about food writing, tales about her meals at restaurants around the country and tips for cooking at home.

@GaelGreene: Gael Greene – Greene has been a New York restaurant critic pretty much forever, and she’s currently filing reviews for Crain’s. Greene may be pushing 80, but she tweets like an enthusiastic high-school students – be sure not to miss the updates about “necking on the couch” with her husband.

@goodappetite: Melissa Clark – The New York Times food columnist and Gilt Taste contributing editor reaches out to her readers for suggestions on where to score the best ingredients, provides updates on her exploits in the kitchen and gets personal with tweets about her family.

@hels: Helen Rosner – This web editor for Saveur tweets as much about her day-to-day life as she does about food – and isn’t afraid to ‘fess up to a love of Huey Lewis.

@immaculateinfat: Immaculate Infatuation – The two dudes who run this blog work in the music industry during the AM, but wining and dining clients has made them experts about some of the best restaurants in NYC.

@JamieBoudreau: Jamie Boudreau – This Seattle mixologist does some serious thinking about drinking.

@JeffHouck: Jeff Houck – This cheeky, knowledgeable Tampa Tribune food writer flavors his tweets with plenty of jokes.

@JennyHighlife: Jenny Miller – A writer for New York Magazine’s Grub Street, Miller proves that she knows her beat with tweets about her travels throughout the NYC restaurant scene.

@KELLYCHOI: Kelly Choi – The former Top Chef Masters host knows more about food than her ultra perky tweeting might lead you to believe.

@kimseverson: Kim Severson – The Atlanta bureau chief for the New York Times and James Beard–award winning journalist finds food as provocative as it is delicious.

@kittenwithawhip: Kat Kinsman – She may be the managing editor of CNN’s Eatocracy, but it’s on Twitter where Kinsman’s quirky, knowledgeable voice really shines.

@kkrader: Kate Krader – The restaurant editor for Food & Wine knows her stuff, and consistently conveys it in an engaging, playful voice.

@Lock: Lockhart Steele – One of the founders of Eater, Lockhart tweets about a lot more than just food. Follow his feed to hear musings on baseball and the media along with thoughts on where to eat.

@mattduckor: Matt Duckor – If you like a bit of gadfly with your food writing (not to mention a whole lot of Foursquare check-ins), this Feast food editor is your man.

@Michael Nagrant: Michael Nagrant – Hungry Mag’s creator covers the Chicago dining scene with a cheeky perspective. Sample tweet: “The difference between Pequods and all the West Loop pizza joints is the difference between Ashley Dupre and a crack ho.”

@mmefromage: Madame Fromage – Her own tagline, “Digital Cheese Courtesan,” pretty much says it all.

@OzerskyTV: Josh Ozersky – Ozersky has written for everyone and their sister in the food world, and he currently pens a column for Time.com. If you like your Twitter feeds with a little visual action, check out the Instagram photos of mouthwatering dishes that he frequently posts.

@phillyinsider: Michael Klein – You want scoops on the Philly restaurant scene? This Philly Insider columnist has got ’em.

@plattypants: Adam Platt – New York Magazine’s restaurant critic promotes the magazine’s content, shares photos of his dishes and chronicles his culinary travels.

@qualityrye: Ryan Sutton – The critic for Bloomberg news, Sutton has developed a new following for his blog, The Bad Deal, in which he exposes, yup, bad deals in the restaurant world. His Twitter account is rife with his opinions on NYC restaurants.

@robertsietsema: Robert Sietsema – The food critic for New York’s famed Downtown weekly The Village Voice knows how to keep his beat interesting. He travels NYC in search of the weirdest, grossest food to try (think goat-eyeball tacos). The epic amounts of snark in his Twitter updates make for good reading, especially over a dinner of pig brains.

@RuthBourdain: Ruth Bourdain – This parody mash-up of Anthony Bourdain and Ruth Reichl won a James Beard award in the humor category last year, even though its creator couldn’t be on hand to accept, because he/she has somehow remained anonymous. If you need a laugh, follow this feed.

@RuthReichl: Ruth Reichl – Perhaps the most poetic tweeter around, the former Gourmet Magazine editor likes to post about nature, the sky, heirloom tomatoes and all the other delicious stuff that she likes to eat. A collection of her 140 character stanzas should be bound and sold as poetry in upscale coffee shops.

@SamSifton: Sam Sifton – Sam Sifton, we hardly knew ye. The current NY Times restaurant critic is moving away from food and on to the national desk, but we hope he keeps aggregating interesting food-related pieces on his feed.

@SkeeterNYC: Liza de Guia – The founder of Food Curated chronicles her meals, which range from an NYC movie theater that serves food to high-end fine dining temples.

@timcarman: Tim Carman – Washington Post writer Carman’s not afraid to stir up the pot a little bit with his strong opinions.

@tomsietsema: Tom Sietsema – The restaurant critic for the Washington Post stays refreshingly on point about DC’s dining scene.

@umamigirl: Carolyn Cope – A London-based food writer, Cope uses her Twitter account to promote blog giveaways (free cookbooks!) and shares interesting articles that she finds online.

@whetmyappetite: Lauren W – Get edgy takes on dining, plus a whole slew of recipes, from this food-world upstart.

Restaurants

@ABCKitchen: ABC Kitchen – Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s NYC New American, located inside a furniture store, pretty much only tweets pictures of food, but when they look this nice, we’re not complaining.

@baconbaconSF: Bacon Bacon Truck – There’s a bacon food truck in San Francisco and that’s all you need to know.

@biggayicecream: The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck – Expect camptastic commentary from this beloved NYC ice cream truck and shop.

@bigjones: Big Jones – The tweets from this Southerner in Chicago have an easygoing tone. Plus, you can tell they’re big fans of the whiskey – we approve.

@BouchonBH: Bouchon Bistro – This account for the Beverly Hills location of Thomas Keller’s bistro is all about its daily specials.

@busboysandpoets: Busboys & Poets – This popular bookstore/restaurant in DC hosts jam sessions, showcases, signings and screenings, and here’s where to sort out the schedule.

@cantersdeli: Canter’s Deli – This deli in LA calls egg whites and cottage cheese an “emotionally unhealthy” breakfast. Take from that what you will.

@centralmr: Central – This acclaimed DC New American offers buckets of fried chicken to go. Oh yeah, and we guess they’re pretty good at the whole tweeting thing.

@CongressAustin: Congress – This Austin, TX, bar and kitchen from an Iron Chef challenger definitely doesn’t skimp on the seasonal-ingredient photos, which lately includes a lot of pictures of mushrooms.

@coolhaus: Coolhaus – Found in LA, New York, Austin and Miami, this truck tweets secret passwords for $1 dicount on their ice cream sandwiches, which have plenty of people losing their cool.

@craigieonmain: Craigie on Main – The tweets from this Cambridge restaurant reflect chef Tony Maws’s obsession for local and French cuisine.

@cube_LA: Cube Restaurant – Expect seasonal Italian food and a good time at this LA small-plater. On its Twitter feed, look for lots of exclamation points and observations like “Frying eggs in Ghee is just silly delicious.”

@flourandwater: Flour + Water – This San Francisco Italian lures tweeps with food photos, whether it’s succulent pork or scores from the farmer’s market. We’ll take either.

@formaggio: Formaggio Kitchen – Go ahead and get cheesy with the tweets from this Cambridge fromage specialist.

@HCChicken: Hill Country Chicken – Get all your breaking fried-chicken news from this NYC comfort-fooder (including reports about line lengths).

@kissmybundt: Kiss My Bundt Bakery – This LA-based bakery uses beer in its baking classes, and, well, those are two of our favorite things.

@LatinBurger: Latin Burger – Burgers with a Latin twist and chicken mole tacos? Um, yes, we’re gonna follow that truck.

@LukesLobsterNY: Nauti Truck – This NYC lobster-on-wheels food truck pretty much set the mold for how to drum up publicity on Twitter.

@memerestaurant: M émé – The tweets from this American in Philly come from chef David Katz, who talks about wanting a food truck, his distaste for Yelp and “Predictable ass True Blood episodes.”

@mercatChicago: Mercat a la Planxa – Chicago’s Mercat a la Planxa with Spanish-style cuisine likes to post pictures of bacon-wrapped dates with almonds.

@mileendbrooklyn: Mile End – This Brooklyn deli tweets compliments to the kitchen crew and its customers, and also provides insight into its owners’ minds. For instance, sometimes they want to push their VW into the East River.

@momomilkbar: Momofuku Milk Bar – The tweets from David Chang’s sweet shop aren’t afraid to let it all hang out– yes, Roxette’s “It Must Have Been Love” was a recent “jam of the day.”

@myersandchang: Myers + Chang – Husband/wife duo Joanne Chang and Christopher Myers tweet for their Boston Asian fusioner, including stories about customers proposing in the restaurant as well as other random/funny happenings.

@northernspyfood: Northern Spy Food Company – This American tweets about more than just specials – look for recipe recommendations and plenty of giggle-worthy commentary.

@porchettanyc: Porchetta and Porsena – NYC sandwich (and pasta) maven Sara Jenkins tweets with high style and a mischievous streak.

@searsucker: Searsucker – This New American in San Diego asks followers about their food preferences. For instance, what makes a great Caesar salad?

@slshotel: SLS Hotels – This LA hotel home of The Bazaar by José Andrés is not afraid to tweet back to followers, with style.

@terroirNY: Terroir – The updates from this wine-bar empire are wise, humorous…and sometimes a bit out there.

@TheAceHotel: The Ace Hotel – The New York location of this red-hot hotel is home to The Breslin and John Dory Oyster Bar, and there are also outposts in Palm Springs, Seattle and Portland. Look for updates on food, fashion and the fab lifestyle in general.

@themeathook: The Meat Hook – This Brooklyn butcher shop’s tweets are not for the faint of heart. You’ve been warned.

@themermaidnyc: Mermaid Inn and Mermaid Oyster Bar – This seafood mini-empire in NYC baits tweeps with tasty deals and lots of interaction.

@ThePigChicago: The Purple Pig – As this Chicago resto likes to say: cheese, swine and wine.

@torchytaco: Torchy’s Tacos – Torchy’s Tacos in Austin, TX, is maybe a little too fond of the hashtag but its online persona is pretty fun.

@urbanbelly: Urbanbelly – Topics covered by the tweets from Bill Kim’s Chicago noodle shop include info about launch parties and photos of ramen specials. Yum!

@vedgerestaurant: Vedge Restaurant – This self-proclaimed “vegetable restaurant” is coming soon to Philadelphia. Tweets are witty, insightful and educational – did you know a commercial ice cream maker costs $6,248?

@voodoodoughnut: Voodoo Doughnut – This Portland, OR, donut den recently set a new record for the largest box of donuts ever. We guess that’s worth some kind of Twitter bragging rights.