With ‘Curious George Eats,’ UM Student rates the Restaurants

By: Sophie Luther

IMC Student

snluther@go.olemiss.edu

Growing up, Georgia Quartararo found herself surrounded by adults who loved to cook.

“Since I can remember, there was always a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen because my parents were constantly trying new recipes together,” said Quartararo, who was born in upstate New York, but now lives in Greenville, South Carolina.

Wanting to be like her parents, Quartararo begged to sign up for a cooking class when she was only 7.

“The cooking class sparked my interest in food and from that day on. I became a little foodie,” Quartararo said. “I was convinced I wanted to grow up to become a chef.”

Cooking has been a favorite hobby of Quartararo’s throughout her life. When she arrived at Ole Miss for her freshman year, she knew she was going to be unable to cook meals in her dorm room.

So Quartararo took it upon herself to find another way to express her love for food. She decided to create a social media account where she would critique food. She named the Instagram account curiousgeorge_eats.

The account shows Quartararo trying a meal at a restaurant and posting an image of the food with a description and rating.

“I originally started the account as a hobby,” she said. “Then I realized how much I enjoyed trying food and writing about it.” 

Not only did the food account satisfy her taste buds, but it also encouraged Quartararo to leave her dorm room and meet new people. As an out-of-state student, Quartararo arrived at Ole Miss without many friends. 

“Going to grab something to eat became an easy way for me to meet up with people and get to know them a bit better,” says Quartararo.

Quartararo has gained loyal followers who check daily for recommendations on where to eat and what to order.

“Every time I am deciding on where to eat, I look at Curious George Eats for inspiration,” said follower Anna Belson. “Her account is amazing.” 

Quartararo has taken it upon herself to explore nearby cities and try their food as well.

 “Although food in Oxford is delicious, food critiquing can be hard because there are only a handful of restaurants,” said Quartararo. “Some of the nice restaurants are owned by the same person, so the food quality and type can be similar.”

So far, Quartararo’s favorite food for critiquing is in Memphis.

“Someone told me about Central BBQ in Memphis and I just had to try it for myself,” said Quartararo.

Whether her posts are from restaurants in Oxford or elsewhere, the account has given Quartararo the platform to express her interest in food without having to do the cooking.