"Food Paparazzi" - Camera-Toting Bloggers Finally Get a Name

The LA Times runs a story today on the growing trend of diners taking pictures of food, or as they claim chefs now call these customers, the "Food Paparazzi." Naturally, chefs are both annoyed and flattered by the camera-wielding diners. Grant Achatz, who banned flash photography from Alinea, has been an especially outspoken critic of food photos recently.

Crediting bloggers for buzz, Top Chef Masters' Ludo Lefebvre recently sold out every single reservation at his restaurant Ludo Bites. He's even hosted a private 18-person meal just for bloggers, with a light box to help with photo ops. As Lefebvre puts it, "This is the game we all now play... we cook, we smile -- and the people, they don't eat. They get their cameras."

· Dinner is Theatre As Food Paparazzi Converge [LA Times]

[Photo: Los Angeles Times]