I was fortunate enough to sit down with Linnea from @617bites this past week. Aside from working full-time in the science field, Linnea also runs one of the most popular food accounts in the Boston area.
Here, we talk about how she got her start as a foodie influencer, what it means to take a good photo, and some of her favorite spots to visit.
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Thanks so much for coming out and talking to us! Tell us a little more about yourself! What inspired you to become a Boston foodie? You’re relatively new and have grown tremendously!
My account just hit a year old at the beginning of this year! So exciting! We were eating soooooo much takeout during covid. Me and my fiance’s love language is food, and I always took pictures of the food we would get. He finally asked me what we were doing with all of the food pictures I had, and encouraged me to share them.
The foodie community is just so great, I love being a part of it. I’m here to have fun and make connections! I love that this brings a sense of community to the area. I’m just really having so much fun with it. I started this with zero expectations, and feel as though I have been so blessed.
That’s so wonderful to hear. Congratulations on one year! What social media platforms are you on?
I’m mainly on Instagram. I do have a TikTok, but I haven’t tried to grow my TikTok yet. I definitely will soon though, the push is there.
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To you, what kind of content is doing the best right now?
I got into this for pictures. Instagram is for pictures, that’s the whole reason why I got into the food account in the first place. To be honest, I feel like reels can get a bit old sometimes. The ones that go viral are the same old cheese pulls, but the art of photography is a lot harder than point-and-shoot reels you’re seeing all over the place now.
There’s something just so special about editing pictures, but people have such small attention spans right now and can only do reels. I really love longer reels where you can see the snippets of the restaurants and like the vibe of everything.
I agree with you, there’s something so special about pictures. With that in mind, do you predict any shifts of social media trends in this upcoming year?
In terms of social media, I feel like it’s pretty crazy and will always move more toward live content. We went from Snapchat, to TikTok, to Instagram, and every platform has live features. Even Youtube is doing it. Live content that shows users what creators are doing “in the moment” is so big. I also think that it’ll be a little bit harder to grow from it, that everyone is going to start doing it. Even the Boston foodie community is pretty saturated, everyone has a crazy HQ camera attached to their phone so everyone is able to do it.
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Well, you’re certainly succeeding at everything you’ve been doing. What’s been the most exciting moment you’ve experienced since becoming a food blogger?
I feel like there’s so much! Meeting new people for the first time is always fun, especially since the beginning of the pandemic; I have made so many internet friends and have gotten to meet them in real life now. The most exciting thing is getting invited to places that you’ve been to and love so much. Shabu Shabu was one of my favorites. Being invited is so rewarding because they saw me and want to have me take pictures of their food.
That must be the best feeling. What does your typical day as a foodie look like?
I actually work a 9-5, I work in biotech. I do most of my collabs after work, so post 5pm I try to squeeze them all in. I try to not oversaturate my weekends with it. I love watching other foodies day in the life videos, but I want to enjoy the food that I’m eating. I can do two meals in a day tops, because if I go, I want to talk to people, enjoy the food, take as many pics as I can, all while enjoying my day.
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It’s so wonderful that you value the art of enjoying a good meal so much. Is there anything in particular that you love about Boston’s culinary scene as a whole?
I love being in Boston, I absolutely love being here, and I love the city. When I go home to NJ, it’s mostly just eating for pleasure, and I love the food. But I just love Boston. We have a pretty diverse culinary world.
What restaurants around here have you been dying to visit lately?
I’ve always wanted to go to Pammy’s, among many many other places. My fiance actually made me a website for my birthday, where we can choose a date night at random. I just upload all of the restaurants I want to go to, and we click a button and it’ll just randomize.
What a neat idea! Have you been anywhere else with an amazing food scene like Boston?
I love Portland, and the Seattle food scene is absolutely crazy. I absolutely LOVE the Pacific Northwest. And I would die to go to Chicago. Instagram and social media are great for the fact that you can just make friends and get recommendations from other states, so I feel like if I went I would know people and places to go.
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If someone was visiting Boston for one weekend, where would you tell them to go?
I love the South End. I LOVE going to Greystone. Having a cup of coffee in your hand and walking around in the fall is the best. There’s nothing like it. Another one of my favorites and a Boston area essential will always be the dumpling house in Cambridge.
Do you have any advice to anyone who’s just getting started as a food blogger?
Just have fun! Have no expectations, make connections, and have a good time. Try to not let numbers get to you because it’s so easy to let that influence everything. My life has totally changed in the last year and I’m so grateful for it.
Be sure to follow Linnea at @617bites on both Instagram and TikTok!
