Boston-native Alie Sockol loves brunch. So much, in fact, that when she found herself back in her home city post-grad and was struggling to find reliable brunch recommendations, she decided to create a fittingly named website — Brunches of Boston. Today, the brunch database (“brunch-abase,” if you will) features reviews of over 150 spots around Boston, all ranked using six criteria: breadth of menu, price, food quality, taste, atmosphere, and portion size. Alie shares why she thinks breakfast for dinner is the next big restaurant trend, which angle she usually takes food photos from, and her thoughts on chef Instagram accounts.
Tell us a little about yourself. How’d you end up in Boston, and what inspired you to create your Instagram account?
I grew up in the Boston area and after college moved back. While I was living in the city I found it really difficult to find a reliable brunch resource that would tell me all the best places to brunch and so I created Brunches of Boston to be just that!
Name the top dishes on your Boston food bucket list.
Maine Lobster Frittata – Bostonia Public House
Tiramasu Pancakes – Capo
Double Chocolate Pancakes – B3 Restaurant
Shakshouka – Committee
What do you think the next big trend is for restaurants?
Adding brunch for dinner options to the menu. Restaurants know that brunch is not only extremely trendy, but cost effective and I think we will start seeing more restaurants trying to further capitalize on brunch by offering it at dinner instead of just breakfast and lunch.
Which chefs are your favorite to follow on Instagram and why?
Honestly, I don’t follow a lot of chefs on Instagram because while they are excellent at creating beautiful meals a lot of them are not so good at photographing them. I think in a way they are too close to the food emotionally and they can’t take an objective look at how the dish might best be represented in a photo. I do however really like Micheal Scelfo’s (editor’s note: you can follow him on Instagram here) of Alden & Harlow, Waypoint and Longfellow Bar. I love how colorful and diverse his photos are. In his food photography you can see the dimensions and texture of the dishes not just the ingredients; you feel through his account like you could pick up the food and eat it. I love that!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiF-tbBgbOj/?taken-by=mscelfo
Beyond chefs, what are your top three favorite food Instagram accounts to follow?
@BostonBehavior
@pizzablonde
@Boston_Bites
Describe Boston’s food scene in three words.
Salty, diverse, authentic
Which restaurants haven’t you been to but you’re eager to try?
I’m really eager to try Cultivar! I love that they are so dedicated to keeping the menu hyper-seasonal and have you looked at that brunch menu yet? It’s small but oh my god it looks good!
What’s your food photography philosophy, and can you share your top tips for taking awesome food photos?
I like to try to show movement in my food photography so that people can really get a feel for what it’s like to interact with the food in the photo. A good way to do this is to add props into the shot like a hand or fork. Another little tip is working the angels that you shoot at. For dishes that have some nice vertical height to them, I usually take my shots at around 45 degrees from the table. This helps bring dimension to the food.
A Few Of Your Favorite Things:
Favorite brunch spot: Zaftigs
Favorite place for outdoor dining: Miel
Favorite BBQ joint: Blue Ribbon BBQ
Favorite late-night: South End Pizza
Favorite neighborhood for food: South End
Favorite new restaurant: B3 Restaurant
