Yolk porn! Melty cheese! Whether it fashion, interior design or food, Instagram can be a good source of inspiration (and a serious time-killer). And chefs, too, scroll the app—not just to see what their friends are up to, but also in search of inspiring accounts to follow, admiring practicality, personality and authenticity while seeking learning opportunities.
While chefs ranging from Jamie Oliver to cake wiz Yolanda Gampp top the charts in terms of sheer numbers, these recommendations come directly from professional chefs who are busy honing their craft. Consider adding these chefs to your feed for extra inspiration on your daily scroll.
Antonino Cannavacciuolo
@antoninochefRoman chef/owner Rudy Accornero of Oak Tuscan Truffle Lounge in Manhattan’s West Village follows Antonino Cannavacciuolo, executive chef at two-Michelin-starred restaurant Villa Crespi near Lake Como. “He’s an old-style cook, but a very good cook,” says Accornero. “I love his tartare recipe, it’s the best.” (Oak Tuscan Truffle Lounge’s Instagram account is not slacking either. Accornero posts photos of 585-gram truffles and features photos of himself with notable celebs like Ben Stiller and Oprah Winfrey.)
Cédric Grolet
@cedricgroletChef/co-owner Toney Liu of NYC’s new restaurant The Queensboro in Jackson Heights follows the French pastry dynamo Cédric Grolet of Paris’s Le Meurice. “[His work] is just beautiful,” he says. Liu also follows Supermoon Bake House, a colorful bakery and feed from the co-founders of Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. “They do croissants and other things with laminated doughs,” Liu says, “but they started putting different colors into the laminated doughs, so it’s very cool.”
Dan Barber
@chefdanbarberSeveral chefs mention that they “learn a lot” from following the sustainable chef behind the one-Michelin-starred Blue Hill in Manhattan and its suburban sibling restaurant of the same name at Stone Barns in nearby Pocantico Hills. “He shows what things are happening on the farm, the different techniques of growing produce,” Liu explains. “It’s unique that he starts from there and not from the end product, which is what you see from most chefs on Instagram.”
Barbara Lynch
@barbaralynchbosChef Kristen Kish of Austin’s Arlo Grey follows the legendary Boston-based chef and restaurateur behind restaurants such as stalwart No. 9 Park, B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop and Menton. “I follow my chef friends whom I admire not for being great chefs—although they are—but more so because of who they are as people outside of the culinary amazing-ness,” Kish says. Lynch’s Instagram features mostly unfiltered food and travel shots encapsulating her unique perspective on life and dining.
Brooke Williamson
@chefbrookewKish also follows Brooke Williamson, Top Chef alum and Los Angeles-based chef and owner (with husband Nick Roberts) of The Tripel, Playa Provisions and Hudson House Bar. Her Instagram prominently features her family life, huge servings of paella, body-positive fitness shots, career updates and overall positive vibes—in other words, a real life.
Stephanie Izard
@stephanieizardAnother of Kish’s favorite accounts is that of Stephanie Izard, the chef/partner of Chicago’s acclaimed Girl & The Goat and Little Goat Diner. Izard is both an Iron Chef and Top Chef alum (and winner!), and her Instagram features colorful, upbeat takes on her adventurous world as a chef, mother, swimmer (and triathlete!) and enthusiastic eater. “It’s nice to know [chefs] as people first,” says Kish, “because it’s only then that you truly know [from] where their food stems.”
Jenner Tomaska
@jennertomaskaColin Stringer of the restaurant nonesuch in Oklahoma City follows Jenner Tomaska, a friend and the chef at Grant Achatz’s Next in Chicago. “Jenner’s very good at posting these very detailed descriptions and techniques,” says Stringer. “He goes out of his way to make them really practical. It’s not just ‘Oh, I’m doing this fancy thing you’ve never heard of.’ It’s really practical.”
Hero image courtesy of Cédric Grolet Facebook page.
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