by Caroline Gentile ’17

What do foodies love more than actually eating food? Looking at pictures of food, of course. Accordingly, food-centric Instagram accounts have become all the rage. One in particular stands out, with its mouth-watering images and clever captions: Boston Bites (@Boston_Bites).

“Biting our way through Beantown,” boasts Boston Bites’ Instagram profile. Founded by Harvard freshman, Alana Steinberg and a friend from home who went to Boston University, the Boston Bites instagram account was originally a way to keep in touch with each other and ensure the two friends actually went out to explore Boston. “We started collecting photos when we got to college, and started posting in October,” Alana explains. Over time, however, it evolved into Alana taking charge of the account, although, she notes, “I still keep in touch with my friend, and sometimes she will send me pictures to post.”

Alana herself has a background in photography, although she usually focuses on portraiture instead of food. She also does multimedia for the Harvard Crimson. In terms of her food background, “I love to bake”, she says with a smile. “At home, I’m known for my popovers and snickerdoodles.” Like many other students (read: the entire staff of the Crimson Crave), she wishes she had more time at school to bake. Luckily, managing Boston Bites serves as her outlet for satisfying her love of food.

Armed with a book of Zagat-rated restaurants in Boston and inspiration from other Boston foodie Instagram accounts, Alana sets out into Boston on average once a week to try a new place and take pictures for Boston Bites. Finding the time to get into Boston can be challenging; “sometimes I go three times in one week and then not at all,” she admits. However, for weeks when she is too busy to make the trip and post new pictures, Alana is able to rely on and repost the five to ten daily submissions she receives from some of her 1659 followers.

Having tried at least one place every week since she first started at Harvard, Alana has eaten a lot of food at a lot of different restaurants. Of all these meals, her favorite has been the avocado toast with burrata and pecorino cheese at Met Back Bay. “I highly recommend Met Back Bay for brunch in Boston,” she says, “but in the square, I really like Bagelsaurus and Russell House.”

As for dinner, she recommends Theolonius Monkfish, a sushi/Asian fusion restaurant in Central Square, a mere 10 minute walk from campus. In Boston, Joe’s American Bar has “really good American food, like spinach dip.” Sounds good to us!

In the near future, Alana hopes to make it to the Union Square Donuts store, and also to a sushi place called Oishii. Be sure to follow Boston Bites on Instagram to see not only these pictures of donuts and sushi, but also the many other mouth-watering pictures of foods that can be found in the Boston area.