Thursday, December 31, 2009

Our Favorite Twitter Pages of 2009

The year 2009 was certainly a big one for Twitter, as the social networking site seemed to explode in popularity. Part of this is because Twitter is very simple to use, and it is an ideal utility for getting instant information on everything from news stories to baseball trades to store specials to, well, just about anything you can think of.

The restaurant industry has embraced Twitter as well; some uses include the postings of nightly specials at dining spots, the mentioning of various culinary events, the openings or closings of restaurants, and so much more. And because we are heavily involved in the Boston and New England restaurant scene (and heavy users of Twitter--we can be found at http://twitter.com/hiddenboston, by the way), the site is one that we go to on a daily basis, not just to post, but to scan the pages of restaurants, food writers, newspapers, etc.

So which Twitter pages have been our favorites over the past year? Well, there are a lot of good ones from which to choose, but here are a few of our top picks for 2009 (in no particular order):

Citysearch Boston (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/CitysearchBOS)
Often funny and always interesting, the Citysearch page for Boston has a ton of information on the Boston restaurant scene, typically posting several updates each day. This is one page that we check nearly every day.

Eat Boston (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/eatboston)
Another page that we look at nearly constantly, Eat Boston is similar in some ways to Citysearch Boston, and also can be a great resource for special deals at restaurants, interesting events being held, etc. And like Citysearch, Eat Boston is always finding restaurants that have recently joined the Twitter site.

MC Slim JB (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/mcslimjb)
A Boston-based food/drinks writer and restaurant critic, MC Slim JB always has attention-grabbing posts, including personal (and often hilarious) comments about the Boston restaurant scene and links to recent reviews. And since MC constantly seems to be looking for hidden gems in the area, this page is an incredibly valuable resource for us.

Myers and Chang (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/MyersAndChang)
All restaurants should take a cue from Myers and Chang; in our opinion, their Twitter page stands at the top of the heap, mainly because they do everything from post daily specials to interact with customers to LISTEN to customers, which goes a long way toward their becoming an even better restaurant. This is a Twitter page with a real personal touch, and one that is always a joy to read.

Visiting New England (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/NewEnglandInfo)
Not strictly a restaurant site, Visiting New England is nevertheless one we go to quite often, as it discusses a lot of dining spots outside of Boston proper that we aren't always familiar with. Diners, classic New England restaurants, and family-friendly spots are often talked about on their Twitter page, which is a particularly good one if you are also looking for places to stay.

Boston Tweet (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/BostonTweet)
Another page that goes well beyond the Boston dining scene, Boston Tweet is important to us in part because it has a seemingly endless amount of information on the city, with tons of info on restaurant events, and restaurants in general. And it has a personal touch, with lots of conversing going on between the page's owner and others.

Grub Street Boston (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/grubStreetBOS)
For the latest on Boston restaurant news (openings, closings, etc.), Grub Street Boston is tough to beat. We are always checking this page (and their site) to learn about changes within the Boston restaurant scene. A must for anyone looking for a news-based page.

There are so many other Twitter pages that we frequent (including Boston Globe food writer Devra First at http://twitter.com/GlobeDevraFirst, local restaurant guide North Shore Dish at http://twitter.com/NorthShoreDish, and online news site Universal Hub at http://twitter.com/universalhub) that we could go on and on, but at least this gives you a few Twitter pages that we consider of great importance when it comes to Boston-area restaurants.

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