All across our state, there are food-obsessed types snapping photos of their meals and drinks and posting them to Instagram. Some of these people are professionals, working in restaurant kitchens or on local farms, and others are photographers documenting everyday edibles in Pennsylvania.
There is a true abundance of talented and enthusiastic PA ‘grammers, and perhaps you follow some of them in your own feed. By no means is this an exhaustive list, but these are 22 food-loving Pennsylvanians we think you should follow on Instagram — add them to your daily scroll for a taste of local deliciousness every time you open the app!
320 Market Cafe’s Wine Account
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrkhyddHizA/
Natural wine in PA? Yes, slowly but surely, wine culture is growing and expanding to include not just big names, but also small producers, making exquisite, strange and imminently chuggable wines. Leading this emergence is 320 Market Cafe, an eatery, marketplace, bar and bottle shop with two locations in Delaware County. If you want to know which natural wines are in season, or what’s new and exciting on the scene, follow along on its very active wine-centric Instagram account. Even if you don’t live nearby, you’re bound to learn about some cool wines.
Joe Beddia, Chef
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqQRFBqFtPc/
America’s best pizza, according to Bon Appetit, is — or was — from Pizzeria Beddia, a tiny whole-pie shop in Fishtown. In 2018, Joe Beddia, chef/owner, closed down his operation to make way for something bigger: a sit-down pizza-focused restaurant with a full bar. Beddia’s Instagram documents the restaurant’s progress and also his love of travel, good wine and fine food — he eats very well, indeed.
Camille Cogswell, Chef
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrY3acmhAtQ/
Camille Cogswell is the pastry chef at Zahav, arguably one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia. Though the most well-known person in the operation is the chef/co-owner/cookbook author, Michael Solomonov, Cogswell has been earning accolades for her beautiful work in bread and pastry, including a James Beard Award for 2018 Rising Star Chef. Her Instagram is a delectable mix of desserts she creates for Zahav and snaps from her daily life.
Tenaya Darlington AKA Madame Fromage, Cheese Expert & Writer
https://www.instagram.com/p/Brn6c36Da-L/
Word to the wise: If you are frequently stricken with cravings for cheese, maybe don’t follow Tenaya Darlington’s Instagram. Posting under her blogger name, Madame Fromage, Darlington’s feed is overflowing with gorgeous hunks of the dairy variety. It’s not all eye candy though; she often includes info about cheese makers, tidbits about specific cheeses, and travel photos from some of her favorite cheese making regions in the world.
Brittany Donovan, Farmer
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br5zFsoHXMq/
Brittany Donovan is one of the proprietors of Horse Shoe Ranch, a small farm in Wrightsville, PA that grows organic produce and eggs from free-range chickens (mostly available at the Lancaster Central Market and through Horse Shoe Ranch’s new CSA). Get a behind-the-scenes peek at farm life through Donovan’s feed, including rolling green fields, happy hens and adorable animals.
Happy Cat Farm, Tomato Growers and Enthusiasts
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsjo-HNDwI5/
We challenge you to find anyone more stoked on tomatoes than farmer Tim Mountz of Happy Cat Farm. If this summer fruit also brings you untold amounts of joy, follow along on his Instagram for a frequent dose of tomato-love, even in the depths of winter.
Josh Eats Philly, Influencer
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAGhoCNFhl-/
If you want up-close, personal and juicy food shots in your feed, give a follow to Josh Eats Philly, a Philadelphia-based food and lifestyle influencer with over 22,000 followers. Donuts, pizza and tacos seem to be a few of Josh’s favorite things, as he photographs the joyful abundance of delicious foods across his city.
Adam Milliron, Photographer
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrBKzAFBKR5/
If you dig perfectly-composed, magazine-quality food photos, check out Pittsburgh-based photographer Adam Milliron‘s work. Whether it’s gigs for local or national clients, or snaps from his own day-to-day, the stunning images he produces bring food and drink to life in an evocative, immersive way.
Cristina Martinez, Chef at South Philly Barbacoa
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqjx56dDshP/
Since opening her tiny barbacoa shop (which has now moved to a slightly less tiny storefront in South Philly’s Italian Market), Chef Christina Martinez has won over Philadelphians, not only for her incredible flavors but for her outspoken and fiercely dedicated activism around undocumented immigrant rights. If you haven’t seen her episode of Chef’s Table on Netflix, it is worth an immediate watch.
Colleen Masteller, Chef
https://www.instagram.com/p/BreIrdeBzVE/
The kitchen manager at The Sawhorse Cafe in Williamsport, PA, Colleen Masteller populates her Instagram with minimalist, poetic shots of ingredients and composed dishes, and occasional glimpses into her world of the kitchen. She also uses the platform to promote her In Whites series, tasting menu pop-up dinner parties with limited seats.
Marissa McClellan, Blogger & Author
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnm8OzpF0Cn/
You might know blogger and cookbook author Marissa McClellan better by her handle, @foodinjars. Part of the first real wave of Philly food bloggers, McClellan is still going strong, sharing ideas and inspiration via Instagram and through her website. Through these platforms, McClellan offers the same gentle encouragement for canning newbies and fun challenges for experienced pros that she does in her line of excellent cookbooks.
Ian Newman, Chef
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrTT5SZn_T2/
Lancaster-based chef Ian Newman specializes in handmade pasta, which photograph beautifully on simple, clean plates on stark backgrounds. Chef’s Instagram feed is an eye-pleasing mosaic of colorful, sumptuous dishes that are precisely and expertly constructed. For more from Chef Ian, check out the recipes and videos he made as part of our Pennsylvania Kitchen series!
Ted Nghiem, Photographer
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsB0X33DQ14/
Coffee, cocktails and all kinds of other delightful food and drinks are what you’ll find on Philadelphia photographer Ted Nghiem‘s Instagram. Whether it’s professional work for clients like Elixr Coffee, or stunning captures from his own travels, know that scrolling through his photos will leave you in desperate need of something delicious.
Justin Severino, Chef
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqnVb-LBHu5/
One of the current leaders of the new wave of meat-obsessed chefs and artisans in Pittsburgh is Chef Justin Severino, owner of multiple restaurants and a charcuterie subscription service called Salty Pork Bits. As one might assume, his Instagram runneth over with all manner of cured, salted, smoked and sliced meats, peppered with the occasional personal photo. He also cross-posts announcements from the Salty Pork Bits IG, which is a great way to be one of the first to know when it opens up a new run of its subscription (which always almost instantly sells out).
Katie Severn, Baker & Blogger
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpVdzY_hmTq/
Under the moniker, @BakingButterlyLove, a Philly-based baker, Katie Severn, posts photo after photo of the most lovely pastries, breads and cakes we can imagine. Her specialties including stunning colors, textures and techniques, and if you’re inspired to step up your own baking skills, her extensive blog offers plenty of tips and recipes, and she offers in-person workshops from time to time in the Philadelphia area.
Alexis Siemons, Tea Writer & Consultant
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsJBXWrB4QI/
A visit to tea expert Alexis Siemons AKA @teaspoonsandpetals‘ Instagram is very much like taking a sip of perfectly-brewed tea. Calming, enlightening and serene, her photos capture the essence of tea culture while offering educational insight, info on cool up-and-coming tea brands and plenty of pretty tea cups filled with all sorts of tea creations.
Jason Varney, Photographer
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk-fInThiAW/
When Philly photographer Jason Varney captures food through his lens, it’s almost as if he’s taking its portrait. The play between light and shadow, the careful composition and the expressiveness in his work is apparent even on a small smartphone screen, and it’s no wonder why he’s a go-to for local chefs, cookbook authors and lifestyle brands.
Marc Vetri, Chef
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br6QElgHFGT/
Of course, one of the most-lauded chefs in Philadelphia has food photos all over his Instagram, but that’s not really what makes it so fun to follow Marc Vetri. His personality and sense of humor come through his pics, from his diehard Eagles fandom, to his work with kids through the Vetri Community Partnership, to videos of himself shredding on electric guitar. It’s the kind of content an old-school publicist might want a nationally recognized chef to edit, but we’re so glad that Vetri doesn’t.
Nicole Viola, Chef
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByVn5SyDHW4Nc-WHrolaK6ZI3JX7vqcdQ_1CP40/
Nicole Viola, the @herbanbaker, available for “cakes, catering, consulting, classes and collaborations,” based on her profile, makes really lovely stuff and shares it through her Instagram. Whether it’s purple-swirled blueberry Earl Grey scone dough, a big jar of preserved lemons, or a deconstructed rhubarb raspberry dessert, Viola reminds us of the essential importance of color and shape in food’s construction and presentation.
Kevin Welch, Chef
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br_ARkRj1G9/
Think plant-based food is boring? One look at Chef Kevin Welch’s Instagram account and your mind will be changed for good. This Downingtown-based chef, who has worked for East Branch Brewing Company, doesn’t always share 100% vegan food, but most of it is, and even from the photos you can see the amount of care he takes in building flavors, pulling inspiration from different cultures and cuisines to create his vibrant dishes.
Ben Wenk, Fruit Farmer & Cider Maker
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsN56sfjBuA/
Third-generation fruit farmer and now cider maker (see @ploughmancider), Ben Wenk is known and loved by chefs and food people across Central PA and the Philly area. Highly knowledgeable, authentically friendly and enthusiastic, Wenk has a passion for apples and agriculture and it is infectious. Follow his Instagram for a peek at life on the farm and Wenk’s frequent city jaunts.
Wild Science Bread Co., Baker
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrvOXDXByp7/
Ready for a carb party? Check out Wild Science Bread, a Pittsburgh-based, made-to-order and subscription-based handmade sourdough bread company. Whether you’re interested in joining the bread subscription (be warned, it sells out quickly!) or not, this feed features luscious loaves that are a simple, but totally alluring, feast for the eyes.
Which PA food folks do you follow on social media? Let us know!
- Feature photo: Pexels
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