Stephanie Amy Collazo is a Bronx girl, born and raised. As a Journalism student at SUNY Purchase she focused mainly on the arts, only to discover her true passion was in food writing. Since this revelation no meal has gone un-photographed and no food find has gone without proper written recognition. She is currently a writing intern for Woman Around Town where she has covered not only restaurant and play reviews but also feature profile pieces. Stephanie hopes to one day become a food columnist.
Stephanie Harrison is a communications student at Indiana University. Originally from Chicago, her family taught her how to cook since she was 5 years old. From seafood, to chicken, to home cooked Chinese dishes, her favorite kind of art is created in the kitchen. Her passion for food and cooking led her to be an amateur food critic for Chicago area and NYC restaurants. She is currently the contributing editor for the Greek newspaper The Odyssey at IU, and is looking for more exotic places for her taste buds to try.
Beth Kaiserman is a Pittsburgh native who moved to New York City after graduating from Penn State in 2009. During her free time, she has spent days roaming about the city trying new foods, usually fueled by the strongest coffee she can find. Look out New York City, ‘cause this girl’s still hungry. Follow me as I conquer the city, one bite at a time.
Claire McCurdy has come to writing professionally after years as a teacher, archivist/historian, and fundraiser for New York based educational and non profit organizations. Recently, Claire has been publishing short stories about her time at the Venice Biennale for Architecture this past summer, for NY based online magazines. When Claire is not writing about her time in the 70′s in Nagasaki, Japan, she may be found writing reviews of northern Manhattan’s many cuisines. A resident of New York, NY, Claire has a B.A. from Earlham College and an M.A. in History from New York University.
Nicole Mancini was born and raised in the Bronx. She comes from a huge Italian family, where her nana’s meals are events. When she goes on vacation, she doesn’t sightsee; she prefers to scout out the best restaurants instead. Nicole graduated from Hunter College with a degree in English language arts and is ready to write away about the food of her favorite city.
Lisa M. Nguyen is a Journalism student at SUNY Purchase. She was raised in the suburbs of NY and has over a decade of experience working in the food industry. With a Vietnamese background and a passion of exotic eats, she built a curiosity to amusing her taste buds. To Lisa’s advantage, she was able to travel to many countries including some in Asia, Europe, and South America, while not fearful of trying anything unusual and enjoying it. She has also traveled to most states across the U.S. and feels lucky to be so close to many incredible eats in NYC.
Carolyn Onofrey was born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut in a town where the restaurant selection consisted of Applebee’s, McDonalds and what seemed like more delis than the entire population of the state. So, it wasn’t until she moved to NYC in 2005 to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology that she could truly embrace her inner foodie. In 2010, Carolyn started her own original neighborhood-food column called “What’s On,” highlighting quirky and intriguing sections of New York City streets and their eateries. You can now follow Carolyn’s beloved column on twitter at @WhatsOnTGP. You can contact Carolyn at conofrey@gmail.com.
Dara Pollak is a die-hard New Yorker with a serious appetite and a passion for all things food – having lived in Queens and Manhattan, she now resides in Brooklyn. Coming from a long line of cooks (both professional and non), her passion for food is ingrained in her lifestyle; she cooked her first Thanksgiving meal by herself at the ripe age of 19, and discovered blogging in 2008 with her blog, The Skinny Pig. Graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology with a Bachelors Degree in Advertising and Marketing, Dara is a digital media professional by day and unstoppable foodie by night. You can contact her at skinnypignyc@yahoo.com
Michelle Wahlers is a freelance writer and cake decorator living in Astoria, Queens. With an inherent love for writing and a consuming passion for food, food writing has been a great interest for many years. After graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education in August 2009, Michelle began working in restaurants and taking orders for specialty cakes. But it all comes back to writing and she is thrilled to be a part of The Gotham Palate.
Born and raised in Boston, Becka is a nonprofit PR professional by day, and avid foodie by night. She has her own cooking blog, The Elegant Eggplant, where she shows fellow New Yorkers how to cook fresh, healthy, seasonal, and accessible food in her tiny Upper East Side studio apartment. Some of Becka’s earliest and fondest memories include her standing on a stool stirring a pot of sauce, and licking the cookie dough off the hand mixer, both with her mother, her life-long cooking teacher.
