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While lots of us snap the occasional photo of a particularly scrumptious-looking restaurant meal, some folks take it to the next level. Maine’s social media restaurant dining influencers – among the state’s most hardcore foodies – have accounts on Instagram and other platforms devoted to sharing their photos, video reels and blurbs documenting their favorite local dining experiences (they don’t tend to post about places they don’t like). Their reach is impressive – the accounts we’ve included range from about 7,000 to more than 80,000 followers on Instagram, a mix of locals and tourists.
Some accounts, like Eating Portland Alive, home in largely on the city’s offerings, while others like BiddoFoodies (highlighting Biddeford and Saco), Eating through the Seacoast and The Maine Foodies carve out other geographical niches or cover as much of the state as they can. Unsurprisingly, these digitally-savvy influencers are on the young side, ranging from their 20s to their early 40s. Some of social media’s prominent national food and dining food influencers, like New York-based Brandon Hayes of @nyc_cheatdayking (144,000 Instagram followers) and Brian Cant of @briancantstopeating (256,000 followers), frequently partner with dining venues that pay them either cash or in-kind to post about their restaurants.
This system differs from traditional newspaper dining reviews, where it would be considered unethical for critics to take payment from the venues they cover. Many of Maine’s influencers said they post partnered content from time to time – marked with hashtags or other labelling to make the partnership clear – but all five we spoke with have full-time jobs, so their social media accounts are (at least for now) essentially passion projects. Whatever they make from partnerships, whether it’s small cash payments ($100 or so for a post) or bartered meals or hotel stays, they said it usually isn’t enough to offset their expenses or the time they spend updating their sites.
We talked recently with the people behind five of Maine’s restaurant-focused social media accounts to ask what motivated them to launch their pages, how they distinguish their accounts from their competitors, and – the most important stuff – where and what they love to eat. Daniela Amieva, left, and Holly Norburg of BiddoFoodies. Courtesy of BiddoFoodies @BIDDOFOODIES Run by: Holly Norburg, 40, and Daniela Amieva, 31, both of Biddeford Full-time jobs: Norburg is attendance clerk and receptionist at Thornton Academy, and Amieva is associate registrar of records and enrollment at University of New England.
Started: 2021 Platforms: Instagram Reach: 6,913 followers Frequency of posts: Twice a week The fried chicken sandwich at Palace Diner in Biddeford. Courtesy of Daniela Amieva/BiddoFoodies Why they started: “We always saw a lot of coverage for Portland restaurants, and we loved living and eating in Biddeford, but nobody shared that much information on the Biddeford-Saco area,” Norburg explained, noting that the two friends started sampling the local venues together in 2020. “We had the idea that since we were already eating out and Instagramming our meals anyway, we would start the blog focusing on this little area that has so many great places, and Daniela would be the photographer, and I would be the writer.
” Amieva’s hobby is photography, and takes her Canon R7 with her most places she goes, restaurants or not. “My camera is just a very natural extension of myself,” she said. Target audience: “We didn’t have a target audience to begin with.
We were just posting our photos and captions and throwing it out there,” Norburg said. “But now that we look at the analytics, we see that our audience happens to be primarily women – 75 percent women, ages 25-65. And they mostly live in the Southern Maine area.
” The pair said they they often have tourists reach out for recommendations, especially in the summer. “But on a day-to-day basis, our audience is more locals than tourists,” Amieva said. Over time, they’ve learned that posts covering lesser-known venues resonate strongly with their followers.
“Some of those little hole-in-the-wall type of restaurants that maybe people were thinking of going to but had never been – when we cover those, it tends to generate a lot of engagement,” Norburg said, pointing to a 2022 post they did on Alhadidi Market, a Middle Eastern goods shop in Biddeford, that spotlighted their cobbled-together meal of items like falafel, Syrian cheese, Iraqi-style mango sauce, chicken samosas and naan. A post shared by Biddeford Maine Foodies | Biddeford Saco Restaurants (@biddofoodies) What sets it apart: Amieva and Norburg said followers have told them what sets them apart is their “hyperlocal” focus on Biddeford and Saco, and the quality of Amieva’s photography. Norburg said she also tries to craft “thoughtful captions” for their posts that include information about the restaurant owners and “fun facts” to keep readers entertained.
Ten favorite Biddeford-Saco eateries: Edelweiss Pastry Shop; Fika; Fish & Whistle; Pacifico; Palace Diner; Rapid Ray’s; Social House Kitchen; Sweetcream Dairy; Swell Nitro Coffee; Thai ME Ultimate local food crawl: Chicken Pad See Ew from Thai ME in Biddeford, The Couch Surfer cocktail from Biddeford’s Magnus on Water, and the Cardamom Bun from Fika in Saco for dessert Rob Schatz of Eating Portland Alive. Courtesy of Eating Portland Alive @EATINGPORTLANDALIVE Run by: Rob Schatz, 39, of Portland Full-time job: Legal assistant Started: 2014 Platforms: Instagram, Facebook and Threads Reach: 15,400 Instagram followers Frequency of posts: Averages one post a day Why he started: Schatz became interested in food while he was in college in Pennsylvania, taking a psychology course in taste perception. “It got me out of the mindset that food is just meant for sustenance and surviving,” he said.
“It opened me up to the whole pleasure and disgust factors of eating.” A Maine native, Schatz moved back home some years later to work and live in Portland. “It gave me an opportunity to explore all the food right at my fingertips right here in the city,” Schatz said.
Loaded hash browns at Dutch’s. Courtesy of Eating Portland Alive Target audience: “Really anyone invested in supporting local businesses, which hinges on long-term support, not just a busy season,” Schatz said. “Ideally, I’m reaching Mainers and people within the industry.
“I don’t set myself up as someone with a refined or knowledgeable palate,” he added. “Some of my photos aren’t necessarily my favorite items, but I just want to do enough justice to a dish or business that it will hopefully nudge people through the door to find out for themselves. He focuses on Portland, but occasionally covers venues elsewhere in Maine.
“In my bio, my slogan is ‘Searching for noms from prom to prom, and sometimes beyond.’ ” What sets it apart: “I’m not just focused necessarily on the food itself,” Schatz said. “I’m also looking at the people who run the businesses, and the whole food ecosystem – farmers, suppliers and non-profits fighting food insecurity.
I want to promote all different aspects of the industry.” Schatz said he mostly creates “static” posts with still photography, rather than video reels. “And I see the consequences of that – I don’t get the same kind of engagement as I used to in peak years.
” Still, he’s more comfortable with still shots and plans to stick with them. “Honestly, the few times I’ve even tried (to make and post videos), I got so frustrated with it, and felt like it came across as totally scripted and didn’t sound authentic anymore, so I just abandoned that.” A post shared by Rob S.
(@eatingportlandalive) Ten favorite restaurants: Dutch’s; Fish & Whistle in Biddeford; Isa Bistro; Izakaya Minato; Leeward; Little Pig; Scales; Tres Leches Cake’s Flor in South Portland; ZaoZe Café in Brunswick; Zephyr Ice Ultimate Portland food crawl: Ma-hor (pineapple with pork and dried shrimp) from Boda as an appetizer; Choo-Chee (fried hake curry) bahn mi at Little Pig as a main; a side of hash browns from Dutch’s; soft-serve ice cream (any flavor) from Fish & Whistle in Biddeford (obviously outside Portland, but Schatz says it’s that good ). Sunset oyster tasting at Lady Oyster in Phippsburg from Eating Through the Seacoast. Courtesy of Eating Through the Seacoast @EATINGTHROUGHTHESEACOAST Run by: Jake Cryan, 30, of York Full-time job: channel marketing manager, Fintech Company Started: 2014 Platforms: Instagram and TikTok Reach: 21,000 Instagram followers Frequency of posts: Three to five times a week Why he started: “I started Eating Through the Seacoast before there were a lot of people doing it,” Cryan said.
“For me, it was a way to share cool food and craft beer in Maine without putting it on my personal Instagram. It became a creative outlet for me, and it eventually grew to the point where I’m able to go to restaurant and hotel openings and share cool things to do in Maine in all seasons, not just the busy season. “I was born and raised in Maine, and am very proud of being from Maine, so I try to do what I can to support it and the local tourism,” he added.
Cryan has also helped support area chefs and institutions in other ways, beyond his site. During the pandemic, for instance, he and some Portland restaurateurs set up a GoFundMe to revive African restaurant Mé Lon Togo, one of the state’s few Black-owned kitchens. The account raised $16,000 in two weeks, helping chef-owner Jordan Benissan launch in Rockland after being forced to close in Waterville.
Cryan also designed and sold a sweatshirt to raise money for the Port Clyde community following last fall’s devastating fire that started in the Dip Net restaurant. A post shared by Eating Through The Seacoast (@eatingthroughtheseacoast) Target audience: Cryan’s account gets a lot of followers from around the Northeast who visit Maine. “But a lot of people from the seacoast area of southern Maine all the way up to the Midcoast also follow me, people who are trying to stay in the loop just like I am,” he said.
“I try to catch new places, and there are plenty of tourist-focused places that are pretty busy on their own, so I put the spotlight on places that don’t get as much business, he added, citing Wandby Landing in Kennebunk as an example, as well as the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, a place he said many people aren’t even aware serves food. What sets it apart: Cryan devotes most of his focus to venues in seaside communities. “Because I don’t live in Portland, it spreads me out more,” he said.
“I like being by the coast.” Ten favorite Maine restaurants: Aragosta at Goose Cove in Deer Isle; Bar Futo; The Black Birch in Kittery; Bred in the Bone in Damariscotta; Leeward; Long Grain in Camden; McLoons Lobster Shack in South Thomaston; Palace Diner in Biddeford; Terlingua; and Wandby Landing in Kennebunk. Ultimate Portland food crawl: Mussels at Scales for an appetizer, any seasonal pasta at Leeward as a main, and kakigori (shaved ice) at Bar Futo for dessert.
The Dirkmaat family with their pooch, Bella. Courtesy of The Maine Foodies @THEMAINEFOODIES Run by: Erik and Alexis Dirkmaat, both in their 30s, of Portland Full-time jobs: Alexis works in human resources; Erik works in product management. Started: 2020 Platforms: Instagram, TikTok and an online blog Reach: 81,300 Instagram followers Frequency of posts: Three to four times a week Why they started: Erik said he and his wife moved to Maine from Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2020, and their site was inspired by their hunt for their favorite Maine lobster rolls.
“To entertain ourselves, we have a spreadsheet of places we want to visit, and we’d explore lobster rolls all over the state. It kind of grew from there,” he said. “We love food, and we’re always thinking about it, so we ended up documenting what we ate through Instagram – it’s just kind of a natural extension of what we do.
” (For the record, after trying more than 30 lobster rolls around the state, their favorite is Bite Into Maine.) Cider doughnuts from McDougal Orchards in Springvale. Courtesy of The Maine Foodies Target audience: “I think a lot of people who find our page are planning a trip, or people who come summer after summer,” Dirkmaat said.
“We have a lot of Mainers as well, who we interact with through our DMs. There are a lot of people from Maine who express gratitude when we highlight some places or menu items they didn’t think about or know about. We’re always looking for those hidden gems we can recommend so we can satisfy both the people from away and the lifetime Mainers.
” He estimated that Mainers account for 60 percent of their audience, with 40 percent tourists, many from Boston or New York. What sets it apart: “What makes us different is we bring more of a family aspect to our account,” Dirkmaat said, noting that they eat at restaurants with their one-year-old daughter, Eleanor (Cheese Louise in Portland is their family-friendly favorite). “We’re really trying to have her eat what we eat, so going to restaurants and having her eat off our plates and try new food and watch her facial expressions, that’s been really fun for us.
“Our content is just capturing where we’re eating and how we’re living, and trying to do it in a way that is enjoyable of beneficial to consumers,” he added. “We’re trying to give a little peek into our lives. You’ll see our faces and hear our voices on our account, because we want people to be connected to who we are and trust the recommendations we’re making.
” Of course, joyous as it is, life with Eleanor has limited their dining options some. “A three-hour dinner is not in the cards for us as much anymore,” Dirkmaat said. A post shared by Erik & Lexi | New England Lifestyle & Travel (@themainefoodies) Top 10 Maine eating experiences (in order): Brunch at The Alna Store (Alna) Dinner at Aragosta at Goose Cove (Deer Isle) Cabbage Island Clambakes (off the coast of Boothbay Harbor) Summer Barn Dinner Series at Turner Farm (North Haven) Lunch at Palace Diner (Biddeford) Tasting menu at Slate, Blair Hill Inn (Greenville) Tasting menu at Earth at Hidden Pond (Kennebunk) Dinner at Primo (Rockland) Seasonal supper series at Tops’l Farm (Waterboro) Summer lobster bake at the White Barn Inn (Kennebunk) Ultimate Portland food crawl: Cocktails at Room for Improvement; Bone Marrow Toast at Central Provisions, a tamale at Regards and oysters at The Shop for apps; Lobster Fra Diavolo for two at Street & Co and Khao Soi at The Honey Paw for mains; and Donut Holes at Duckfat for dessert Lydia Belden of Portland Eats ME.
Courtesy of Lydia Belden @PORTLANDEATSME Run by: Lydia Belden, 29, of Portland Full-time job: Belden declined to say. Started: 2015 Platforms: Instagram, TikTok and Facebook Reach: 8,922 Instagram followers Frequency of posts: Three times a week Espresso Martini Tree at Luna Rooftop Bar. Courtesy of Portland Eats ME Why she started: “I love food photography, and growing up here I noticed there weren’t too many content creators in Portland at the time,” Belden said.
“Now I get to share with so many people how great Maine is and support incredible businesses. It’s so fun now to have a community of great content creators.” Target audience: “People of any age who love a food adventure and travel.
” What sets it apart: “I try to post stories to connect with my audience and create more community,” she said. “Additionally, I love sharing experiences and my travels – which I hope others enjoy too.” Ten favorite Portland restaurants: Bite into Maine; The Honey Paw; Il Leone; Leeward; Pai Men Miyake; Scales; Sichuan Kitchen; Standard Bakery; Taj; and Yosaku Ultimate Portland meal: Brussels sprouts with fish sauce vinaigrette for an appetizer at Pai Men Miyake; Mandilli pasta al Vero Pesto Genovese from Solo Italiano for a main; and soft serve at The Honey Paw for dessert A post shared by erikaeatz (@erikaeatz) We invite you to add your comments.
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