The Basics:

My name is David Griffin Heiser. I’m a Northeast Ohio native and (relatively)  new resident of Chicago. I live on the north side and work in the Loop as a word-of-mouth marketing analyst at Zocalo Group, the Holmes Report’s 2009 New Media Agency of the Year. Before joining Zocalo Group, I completed a seven month internship in the Midwest Brand and Food Practice at Ketchum, a leading global public relations agency.

I graduated from the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC in spring 2009 with a B.A. in communication and a B.S. in sociology. During my last year at the College, I was the resident food and film critic for the College of Charleston’s student newspaper, the George Street Observer.

In the past, I’ve held internships with Rawle Murdy - a full service marketing communications agency, Leapfrog Public Relations - a boutique agency specializing in high-end “lifestyle” clients, and the Charleston Food + Wine Festival.

Some of the clients I work with/have worked with in the past include Subway Restaurants, Nissan, Schawk, ConAgra Foods, Kimberly Clark, Piggly Wiggly, Ginn Resorts, Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurants, Hospitality Management Group Inc., Gulfstream Communications, and Caviar & Bananas.

Why I started this blog:

My general goal for DavidGHeiser.com is to expand the gastronomic and cinematic horizons of young people. Although I originally started it to reach my classmates at the College of Charleston, I see the vast majority of my peers spending their money on mediocre chain food everywhere I go. I think that experiencing and supporting the locally owned restaurants in your home town is an important part of appreciating your community’s unique personality.

“So, just who do you think you are!?”:

Since I started this site back in February of ‘08, I’ve had a few commenters ask some variation of the above question. As much as I’d like to say otherwise, I’ve got to admit that it’s a valid point. The truth is, I’m not Ruth Reichl or Jeffrey Steingarten. I’m not a certified chef, and I’m not even a paid journalist. What I am, however, is someone who loves to eat, write, and talk to people about food.

The good news is that even the pros agree that there isn’t a standard set of qualifications. In fact, in a recent issue of GQ, Alan Richman said, “Of course, it does not require brilliance (or even dexterity with cutlery) to be a food critic; the consumption of thousands of meals qualifies practically anyone to take the job, providing that most of the dining hasn’t taken place in fast-food restaurants.” Now, while I haven’t traveled the globe eating at El Bulli and French Laundry like Richman, I’ve eaten a lot of good meals in my day. If that doesn’t qualify me in your mind, I’m totally fine with that. What I’ve found, though, is that a lot of people are happy to get their reviews from normal people, people they can relate to.

So, hopefully you’ll decide to stick around and read a few reviews. If you do, I’d love for you to leave me a comment or two; tell me if you think I hit the nail on the head or am full of hot air.

Thanks for visiting DavidGHeiser.com.

Disclaimer:

DavidGHeiser.com is a personal blog. The opinions expressed here are my own, and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.