Meet Lianna of Denver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lianna

Hi Lianna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Since as long as I can remember, food has always excited me. My mother once said there are two types of people in this world; those who eat to live and those who live to eat; I have always fallen into the latter category.

I was fortunate to be raised in the suburbs of Toronto, a very multicultural city, and was exposed to food from many different types of cuisines, both at home where we enjoyed freshly prepared meals almost daily, and at restaurants which we frequented most Saturday evenings. When other kids my age were eating mac & cheese, grilled cheese and hot dogs, I was more interested in my father’s Indian curries. I often complained about the limited options on the kids’ menu and would eye my parents’ more sophisticated entrees.

During my university (college) years, I wasn’t dining out as often, and my housemates and I would take turns preparing meals for one another. While other college students were eating fast food and cereal, we were cooking salmon, chicken and elaborate pasta dishes. After a long day of classes and studying, I really looked forward to eating those delicious meals.

When I started working after finishing university, I was even more excited to explore the food scene. To remember and capture my experiences, I started taking photos of my culinary choices and posted the images to my personal instagram page. Pretty soon, my instagram became a collection of my dining experiences and the food I cooked, with very little actual pictures of myself. Commenting on my new content, my mother often said, “I don’t want to see pictures of your food, I want to see pictures of you.” It seemed like a simple enough solution to make a page devoted to food and keep my personal page about me. And so began the beginning of my food page, though it had a different name since I hadn’t moved to Colorado yet. I was living in a smaller city in southwestern Canada with a more limited food scene, I wasn’t the best photographer, and reels didn’t exist. My following consisted of a few hundred people but I was having fun sharing my passion.

When I moved to Denver in 2021, I noticed there were dozens if not hundreds of people doing the same thing I was trying to do, albeit more successfully. I was now living in a city with a burgeoning food scene that I was eager to explore. I made a list of food places I wanted to try and slowly but surely I started making my way through the list with my then boyfriend (now husband). I’m really fortunate that I’m now “hosted” for visits at some really great restaurants but am also able to explore places on my own and share my experiences with fellow foodies who are interested in my recommendations.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I started Coloradofoodenthusiast, I knew I wanted this to be a hobby rather than a career which takes off a lot of the pressure. That being said, I didn’t have much experience with social media and marketing prior to starting this page, I just knew I loved food. When I first started my page, I would just make carousel posts. It wasn’t until a few years later I started playing around with reels and it took many months of trial and error to create reels of the quality I was hoping for. I also was not a skilled photographer and videographer but luckily my husband seemed to have a better eye for detail so he gave me lots of pointers.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I run the instagram page @coloradfoodenthusiast where I share food spots I visit as well as food products. I try to focus most on local businesses. My favorite collaborations are with small local businesses, some of which don’t have a brick and mortar establishment but rather are doing at home baking/cooking or pop ups. Some of my favorites are Pita Mafia (they run monthly pop ups) and Alma Baking House (offers twice weekly pick up/delivery as well as pop ups). One of the most exciting things this page has brought me is the opportunity to meet fantastic local chefs and bakers, some of whom I have established close friendships.

I am most proud of the connections I have helped facilitate for local entrepreneurs in the food industry. Some of the restaurant owners who follow me have told me they have visited another local business after they saw me about it and this led to them connecting with the owners. It’s also exciting to know someone who works in the industry trusts my opinions.

What I think sets me apart from the many other local foodies is the level of detail I share with my followers about the dishes I try as well as the type of culinary venues I visit. While I know not everyone will read my lengthy captions, I want the business owners to feel their mission/story is being conveyed appropriately. I often include not only the names of the dishes but their descriptions and what I enjoyed most about them, in addition to information on specials and promotions. I love to hear feedback from the local businesses telling me how much they appreciate the work I put into the postings.

With regards to the spots I visit, while I am a huge foodie, drinks (other than horchata, mango lassi and milkshakes) are less interesting to me, so you won’t find me sharing too many holiday pop up bars or spots for cocktails. I love desserts and ice cream so it’s not uncommon for me to drive across town just to pick up a pint of Sad Boy or Pints Peak ice cream shop or show up at Get Rights Bakery first thing on a Saturday morning so I have the best selection to choose from. I will also post fairly frequently about my favorite ice cream finds from the local grocery store. As my page has grown, I have definitely become choosier about which invitations I accept for hosted visits so that I also have time to explore new restaurants on my own. For the time being, I am trying to keep my content entirely food focused as well so you won’t see me posting about entertainment related happenings unless there’s an emphasis on food. My favorite cuisines are elevated Latin American, New American, Indian and Thai and I want to make sure I highlight these types of spots as much as possible. I also especially love spots with innovative dishes inspired by their culture and upbringing such as spots like MAKfam, Yuan Wonton, Sap Sua, Luchador Taco & More, and Uptown & Humboldt. I still post about “American restaurants” with burgers, fries, and sandwiches, but probably not as much as most.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
A year into living here, I met another local food influencer, Jennifer from Denjeneats. She provided me with tips on how to improve my pictures by buying a phone light and encouraged me to try making reels and posting more consistently. She also invited me to some of her hosted events where I had the opportunity to network with many other individuals who were as passionate about food as me.

I also could not be where I am now without the support of my husband. He helped me improve my photography skills, provided me with constructive feedback on my reels, and lets me fill our calendar with never ending food outings. Most importantly, he is endlessly patient with me in taking photos and videos before we eat and even lending a helping hand (quite literally as he is often my hand model but also helps film a lot of my content).

Pricing:

• I do not currently charge for my services

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coloradofoodenthusiast/