Photo: Malcolm Tredinnick/Flickr

Yesterday Jessica Alpert and I attended the Eat, Drink and Be Social event at technique in Cambridge, what we called a “Networking Foodapalooza” in last Monday’s post. So, so glad we went. Here’s a recap.First and foremost, it felt like there were lots of restaurant industry-related folks there, as opposed to food-related content providers (like us). Makes sense, I guess, given the morning’s agenda, which ranged from a “chat” with Jody Adams and Barbara Lynch to the self-narrated case study from co-owner Justin Levy of Caminito Argentinian Steakhouse (he helped resurrect it from sure financial ruin), plus two panel discussions on the successful intersection of restaurants and social networking sites (e.g., primarily FourSquare and Foodspotting). We both missed the final segment on “Videos and Your Restaurant.”

Lots to chew on. It’s tough to be a restauranteur in Boston. The availability and variety of local ingredients is relatively low (Jody Adams: “What can we really call local?”), there might be, but isn’t, a restaurant or cafe on each block in Boston (Barbara Lynch’s lament) and securing outdoor seating is just plain tough. Despite these inherent challenges, some dished out by Nature, others the man-made variety, both master chefs agreed that Beantown diners are now more adventuresome and more educated.  Neither chef would hesitate trying something new on a plate (in fact, it’s up to the wait staff to set the culinary context and in this way ‘sell’ it to customers). 

Without so much as a pregnant pause or blink of an eye, both Adams and Lynch vigorously agreed that Cambridge is THE hot spot for dining these days (read: Oleana, Hungry Mother, Ten Tables). Boston, in general, has become a restaurant destination.

OpenTable has revolutionized the restaurant business, providing proprietors with a flood of information about its clientele. People want a connection with the chef (Justin Levy); one’s SCO strategy is critical and–this applies to everyone, I think–focus on what the social media outlet you use is doing for you, whether it’s real-time engagement with your customers (Twitter) or a landing page like the kind Facebook provides for information about events, specials, etc.

Real-time recommendations? Reviews? Who’s “checking in” where and how often? The next two panels were devoted to many voices speaking on the proliferation of local critics. That’s you, that’s me, that’s anyone of us who eats out and talks out about it, ‘talk’ obviously taking on many forms, and those in the restaurant industry whose business it is to listen. If you’re a content provider, transparency is key is you’re taking freebies (promotional events, Christine Liu of Citysearch said, are good for both reviewer/food influencer and restauranteur–remember, folks like to know the chef). Aaron Cohen of @eatboston made one of the more profound comments of the morning, “Criticism is boring.” He means, anyone can do it and lots do. He won’t. Leighann Farrelly of Yelp rounded out that view, saying criticism is OK, but fairness is key.

And, as far as geolocation goes, I’d say “get ready.” Dennis Crowley of FourSquare is so passionate, so confident, so sure of his vision. His vibe is all energy and ‘catch the wave of this latest shift in culture.’ Incipient trend or fast-to-fade came up as a question from the audience (the fellow who asked was really doubtful about FourSquare’s staying power) but Crowley was un-phased. He, like Alexa Andrzejewski of Foodspotting, feels he is harnessing people’s inherent desire to taste, try and share. There is no curbing human behavior, just harnessing it to the web.