I’m a Yelper. I got started last summer and have been doing it ever since.

I have always been a writer, pen in hand till the wee hours of night since I was in first grade. I have also always been a baker and cook, helping Mom and Grandma in the kitchen since I was tall enough to reach the counter while standing on a chair.

Writing about food is a recent lust. I give credit to Ruth Reichl for this passion. A few years ago, I was stuck in an airport with a nonfiction book that wasn’t exactly engaging my sleepy mind. I headed to the small bookstore and found an interesting New York Times Bestselling memoir: Reichel’s Garlic and Sapphires. It sounded funny; Reichl as a New York Times food critic who dresses up in disguises to ensure her dining experience, and thus her reviews, are uninfluenced by her celebrity status.

The book was certainly filled with humor. Importantly, I couldn’t put it down. I was drawn deeply into her descriptive food tales. The way she described every bite she had experienced soon sent my stomach to growling and my mouth (yes, even this vegetarian) to drooling over her highly illustrative prose of everything from steaks to sushi.

Suddenly, I realized there could be a marriage between my two passions: food and writing.

When I stumbled upon Yelp last summer, I began to set my newest passion to work. It was addictive! On Yelp, I also found a whole community filled with folks as passionate as me, sharing secret spots, telling tales of everything from food fiascos to amazing and memorable bites.

Today, my review of Laszlo’s Gourmet Smoked Fish has received the honor of Review of the Day (ROTD). I have had several such honors in the past, but I am particularly fond of this review—as I am particularly fond of Laszlo’s smoked fish.

My other ROTDs have included Lounge ON20, Formaggio Taverna andPatio, Sacramento Children’s Home Casa Garden Restaurant, and Kelli’s Gourmet Cookies.

Now that I have my own blog, I’m yelping less these days. But I still try to keep up with the reviews when I can—after all, it’s fun!

Labels: food review, Formaggio Taverna, Garlic and Sapphires, Kelli's Cookies, Laszlo's Smoked Fish, lounge on 20, Ruth Reichl, Sacramento Children's Home Casa Garden, writing, Yelp