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| Chillo frito, Fajardo, Puerto Rico |
In 2005, I joined a wedding planning website, and I needed a screenname. I combined my favorite band with my favorite animal, and weezermonkey was born. Little did I know the moniker would stick with me for years.
How did you start blogging?
I used to be a beta-tester for a wedding planning website. When the site introduced a blogging feature, I pursued it zealously. I blogged about color schemes, engagement photos, reception venues, and wedding video songs. Long after I was married, it seemed silly to write about weddings, yet I still wanted to blog. People claimed to enjoy my iPhone photos of lunch, so I started posting more pictures of food. The rest is history.
How do you pick restaurants?
I read a lot of local restaurant blogs. Blogs by non-professionals, like my own blog, are my favorite resources. I like reading what the everyman has to say. I also follow Squid Ink, Eater LA, and Grub Street LA, as well as consult Chowhound and yelp from time to time. Some of my best finds, however, are a result of walking into an eatery after being intrigued by the storefront or menu posted outside.
Is there anything you won't eat?
I'll try anything once. Sometimes I'll try something several times to make absolutely sure I don't like it. I've eaten everything from zebra to kangaroo to scorpions. The most important thing to me is taste. It's fun to sample weird things, but I don't eat weird things just for the sake of eating weird things. For the record, kangaroo is fabulous, but zebra and scorpions suck.
I would beg the prison to let Mama Monkey cook something for me, preferably spring rolls and some Taiwanese comfort food. If Mama Monkey couldn't cook my last meal, I'd choose something really fatty and bad for my health. Maybe golden fried chicken with a mountain of garlic fries and a side of glistening seared foie gras, followed by a giant funnel cake blanketed in powdered sugar. The worse for my arteries, the better. Because, hey, I'm about to die.
What is your favorite restaurant?
To me, eating is all about variety. I love new food. I love new experiences. I can tell you my favorite places to get ramen, chicharrones tacos, or a pastrami sandwich. But name one favorite restaurant? This, I cannot do.
Oh, come on. No favorite restaurant? Really?
Really.
Do you pay for all of your meals?
Yes, I am a paying customer unless I note in a post that the meal was comped.
How do you travel so much?
I actually have very little vacation time, but my husband does an extraordinary job of planning around my tight schedule. We usually do one big international adventure every year, and we take a lot of short weekend trips, often incorporating holidays. We make good use of priceline, Hotwire, Expedia, and credit cards with airline mile rewards. Thanks to my husband's travel ninja skills, sometimes our transportation and lodging cost less than our meals.
Do you cook?
No.
Do you have any restaurant experience?
No.
What makes you qualified to write about food?
I eat a lot, and I have a computer.
Do you ever just have fish sticks, hot dogs, frozen pizza, or PB&J for dinner?
No, yes, yes, no.
What will you want to learn to cook first when you buy a house with a kickass kitchen?
I have a house with a kickass kitchen. This kickass kitchen remains immaculate.
What equipment do you use?
Nikon D7000
Nikon D40
Nikon 35mm f/1.8
Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6
Canon PowerShot SX210 IS
Canon PowerShot S110
What is your real job?
I am a lawyer.
How do I contact you?
weezermonkey at gmail dot com
