DIGITAL DINING
On a weekend in Sydney’s Bondi, you’ll likely find a queue of people snaking out the door of Bills, a cafe serving, among other tasty things, aesthetically pleasing brunch options. Ricotta hotcakes, sweet corn fritters, salmon gravlax. Vibrant artworks adorn the walls, hot drinks are served in pastel-hued crockery, the marble tabletops provide the perfect background for an insta snap and the dishes are things of beauty. But judging by the number of people hovering their phones over their fritters, it seems the link between a packed house, photogenic décor and the attractive presentation of each plate is no accident.
You have social media – namely Instagram, with Pinterest bringing up the rear – to thank for the installation of neon signs and feature walls in restaurants, bars and bistros across the land. “Gram-ability” has been so integral to an establishment’s success, that some menus place the familiar rainbow logo next to the dishes they deem most aesthetically pleasing. posted a food pic are a rarity, and the fact that the avocado is both a cultural cliché and Woolies online saved-favourite likely has something to do with the more than 10.8 million #avocado Instagram posts. It’s the equivalent of Nigella Lawson’s suggestive handling of meats – designed to get your neurons firing and your mouth watering. We are now more than ever looking to social media for culinary cues. But what impact is this having on our nutrition?
