Name: Andrea Strong
Age: 38
Location: New York City
Education: B.A. in International Relations from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA; Law degree from Brooklyn Law School in Brooklyn, NY
Job Title: Food writer, reviewer, eater
What She Does: Andrea writes food-related articles for top print publications such as Food & Wine, The New York Times, and Condé Nast Traveler. She writes a popular food blog called The Strong Buzz, a weekly diary of restaurant news and reviews. She also teaches food-writing classes for Media Bistro to help aspiring foodies break into the business.
How She Got Her Gig: After working as a corporate lawyer in New York for five years, Andrea became disenchanted with her work. “Law school was very challenging, but practicing law was very dull and soulless. I felt like a paper pusher,” she explains. “I was turning 30 and felt unfulfilled. But I enjoyed trying new restaurants and thought that maybe one day I’d open my own.” Andrea began volunteering for Share Our Strength, an event that helps end hunger, and ended up meeting a lot of chefs. Feeling that the culinary industry was calling, Andrea went to work as a manager of the popular eatery Tribeca Grill. But after two and a half years, she still wasn’t satisfied with her career. She entered an essay contest sponsored by The New York Times and wrote about working in the food industry. Her essay not only won second place, but an editor with Restaurant Business Magazine called to offer her an editing job at the magazine. “I was really lost at the time and it was like a fairy tale,” says Andrea.
Onward and Upward: After September 11th, Andrea was laid off from her editing job, but that didn’t deter her. Instead, she set out on her own as a freelance writer. “My most memorable career moment was the publication of my first article in the dining section of the Times,” she recalls. “ I remember waking up at six that morning and going down to the newsstand and reading my article right there on the sidewalk.”
Daily Eats: Andrea stays current on trends in the food industry by reading food blogs such as Grub Street and Gourmet. “I get invites to restaurants all the time, but I decide where I review based on what’s interesting to me and my readers. I have a broad range of demographics in terms of age and income level, so I try to review places at different budgets,” says Andrea. “Mostly I tend to review new places, restaurants with changes in chefs if the change is significant, and also, once in a while, some old spots to see how they are doing and holding up.”
Sweet and Sour: Being a freelance food writer has afforded Andrea the opportunity to dine at fabulous New York restaurants and call famous chefs her friends. But Andrea says that this business does have a flip side: “As a freelancer I have no guaranteed income and no paid vacations.” But even thought there isn’t a lot of security in her work, she knows it’s the best fit for her personality and work style. “I’ve never been someone who thrives in a conventional working environment with a ‘boss’ and a commute,” she says. “I cannot imagine going back to an office.”
This Job’s for You if: You can handle rejection and have a thick skin. A love of food and the food business also helps. “I love food,” she says. “I also love telling stories and writing. So the fact that I can write stories about meals, chefs, restaurateurs, winemakers, and farmers is really icing on the cake.”
