Patch Tastemaker: 'YeahFoodBeer' Blogger Stephanie Perez

As the CEO— chief eating officer— of YeahFoodBeer, Stephanie Perez's job requires her to taste-test the most delectable foods in New York City and showcase her finds — and photography skills — on her colorful Instagram.

Perez started out as a music and concert photographer but soon began sharing her true passion: food. Now she spends her days capturing her favorite food and beverage spots, always keeping mouthwatering textures, positive vibes and corny dad jokes at the forefront of her posts. Her Instagram account, which aims to bridge the gap between art and food-porn, has amassed nearly 60 thousand followers.

Born and raised in New York City, Perez says the city's diversity is her favorite thing about the vibrant place she calls home. "It gives us food, music and experiences inspired by all walks of life," says Perez. "We’re like the melting pot of creativity that America was supposed to be."

Whether she's brunching at Mom’s Kitchen & Bar in Astoria or exploring El Museo del Barrio, this foodie and photographer has some top-notch suggestions around NYC. Take a look at her favorite spots:

What neighborhood do you live in? Astoria, Queens

Describe NYC in three words: Vibrant, diversity, home

What’s your favorite overall NYC restaurant? Right now, it’s between Mom’s Kitchen & Bar in Astoria, Timna in Manhattan and Salt + Charcoal in Brooklyn.

Best sushi: Sushi Seki in Times Square is great considering their location and proximity to transportation, and Momoya in Chelsea is great for good casual sushi.

Best Italian food: I would say Aunt Jake's has really awesome Italian food.

Best dessert: Stuffed Ice Cream in Manhattan makes some of my favorite hard ice cream and Soft Swerve’s soft serve is fantastic. Bingbox Snow Cream and Tipsy Scoop are also favorites of mine.

Best pizza: Prince Street Pizza has my fave Sicilian slice ever — you know, the one with the pepperoni cups. San Matteo Cucina also makes fabulous pizza and Joe’s Pizza is a classic. Emily’s is also legitimately pizza perfection. Oh, and I love Champion Pizza’s buffalo chicken and mac-and-cheese slices so, so much. Man. I really like pizza.

Best spot for a quick lunch: Schnippers (specifically their 8th Ave. Times Square location) is one of my favorite lunch spots around my office. Chopt’s Bryant Park location is also fantastic for a healthier alternative, and Dos Toros (also Bryant Park) and Mighty Quinn’s (in the Garment District) round out my list of favorite quick lunch spots around my office.

Best food truck: This isn’t exactly a food truck, more like a traveling pop-up, but Karl’s Balls makes the best takoyaki balls I’ve ever had in my life. The man is a powerhouse — super passionate about his craft and all about quality. He is inspiring and talented, and if you haven’t tried his food then you’re missing out.

Best spot for a romantic date: Lincoln Ristorante is great for a romantic date. They have a Valentine’s Day and Christmas vibe all year-round without being cheesy. Dimmed lights, really delicious food and impeccable service make this steakhouse a great romantic date spot.

Best glass of wine: My old go-to in my neighborhood for wine was DiWine but over the years they’re not what they used to be in their heyday (5-6 years ago). My new wine spot is Ovelia in Astoria, City Winery in Manhattan and Brooklyn Winery in (surprise!) Brooklyn.

Best Sunday brunch: Mom’s Kitchen & Bar in Astoria is one of my favorite brunch spots. For boozy brunch, Nizza in the city is fantastic and so is The Bedford in Brooklyn.

Best spot for a power business meeting: Cipriani, The Lambs Club and 212 Steakhouse all come to mind here.

Best cup of coffee or tea: I love tea but I use Amazon to purchase a lot of loose leaf teas to play with my tea strainer. I recently had a fabulous high tea experience at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, Canada, and I hear that the The Williamsburg Hotel (Brooklyn) and The Palms Court (Manhattan) have great tea. One of my favorite coffee spots is a small morning pop-up in Astoria called Stellar Brews and they operate in Sek'end Sun (a bar) on weekday mornings. They make some really awesome coffees using high-quality, all-natural ingredients. Gossip Coffee in Astoria is also amazing with really awesome doughnuts and a lovely outdoor seating in the back.

Best steak: 212 Steakhouse is the only spot with real authentic Kobe (U.S. and Australian), Wagyu and prime beef. Last time I went here, I left floating on cloud nine because everything was insanely amazing. American Cut in Tribeca is also great, they flambé your steak table side, so it’s fun to watch and also delicious. Sanfords in Astoria has been a fave of mine for over seven years — their chimichurri sauce is fantastic. Lincoln Ristorante is also great (also check our their chicken parm — it’s like a chicken pizza!) and of course, the OG, Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn.

Best spot for a craft cocktail: If you want sexy, exclusive, high-end vibes, I suggest Raines Law Room at The William Hotel and Employees Only. For more accessible but still delicious and photogenic craft cocktails, I suggest any spot with Muddling Memories at the helm — looking at you, The Flying Cock and The Horny Ram. Proper West in Midtown also had a really great cocktail list from which I got to imbibe last week.

What hotel would you recommend for your out of town guests? The Archer Hotel is minimalist, urban chic. I also hear The Gansevoort is great, although Archer is the only one I have a personal experience with.

Favorite shopping venue or boutique: The Brookfield is a great one-stop spot.

Best gym or fitness studio: I’m a Crunch Fitness fan, and I also boxed for a bit at Club Fitness in Astoria.

Best spa: I don’t do a lot of spas, but I recently got a manicure and a massage at Benefit Spa in Midtown, and it was a ridiculously awesome experience.

Favorite charity event or organization: The Careers Through Culinary Arts Program's (C-CAP) annual benefit this year was amazing. I got to meet Jose Andres and Marcus Samuelsson along with tons of awesome students destined for great things in the restaurant and hospitality industry. C-CAP is definitely one of my favorite charity organizations along with No Kid Hungry and the Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson’s Research.

Favorite cultural institution: McSorley’s Old Ale House. They've been serving up only two kinds of beers (light and dark) since 1854. They only began serving women in 1970. I’m always team dark beer.

What’s the best museum or current exhibit in NYC? El Museo del Barrio, The Met Cloisters, The MET and The Guggenheim Museum.

Best historic or iconic NYC landmark to see or explore: Times Square can sometimes be fun to walk through at night when it’s not as crowded. Central Park is beautiful and a nice green oasis (for us). I absolutely love the Bronx Zoo, Seaport District and Chelsea Piers as well.

What’s your all-time favorite spot in New York City? Oh wow...this is a tough one. I’m going to go with Grand Army Plaza in Central Park. It’s close to my train home, and the base of that big golden statue makes a comfortable place to sit, people-watch and meditate. I’ve sat there for hours when I was younger and just thought about life. It's been a while since I’ve done that, but I still look upon it fondly.

The best aspect of New York City is: The diversity. It gives us food, music and experiences inspired by all walks of life. We’re like the melting pot of creativity that America was supposed to be. And my favorite aspect of NYC is that we are strong, fast walkers, and that I have the privilege to call it my home.

Image Credit: Stephanie Perez