We Want Media

Is it just me, or does it seem like the media catches on to one new restaurant and then sticks with it until way past the time when the audience is either bored of hearing about the latest food craze or completely interested and dying to try it?

Recently, all I seem to read about is Pinkberry and Momofuku.

It all started, for me at least, with a small mention of Momofuku in New York Magazine’s 101 Best Cheap Eats back in August. Since then, the noodles have been on my to-try list. But that’s not where it stopped.

Gawker picked it up, and New York Magazine wrote an entire article on the creator and his new restaurant where he shuns vegetarians. Gawker even calls their thread Gawker’s Odd Momofixation. So, then, you do realize you’re obsessing and it’s not just me.

Then there’s Pinkberry. Same thing happened. Eater wrote about it when it branched out from Los Angeles and added a store in New York. From there, Gawker had entire two posts about someone’s complaint that Pinkberry refused to swirl their two flavors, a la Tasti D-Lite. And finally, at the end of last week, six months after the opening, the New York Times wrote an article about Pinkberry and the drama over who really created frozen yogurt.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say these restaurant/food establishments are paying off the newpapers and blogs to promote them. It’s like these are the two ONLY two openings in all of New York City. I mean we live in a city of 8 million people and countless places to eat. Does the media really need to focus on these two places week after week? Expand your focus, please.

Two months ago I had never heard of a ssäm before, but now I can’t get the Asian burrito from Momofuku out of my mind…maybe it’ll be my lunch tomorrow? I told another intern I work with about Pinkberry and we’re taking a field trip next week during our lunch hour to check out the L.A. fad. Mission accomplished, media. One more consumer hooked.