Chowhound is Dead. Long Live Hungry Onion

Were you in Chowhound? You should have been, back in the day. Chowhound was a food discussion group, with members all over the world. Whether you were going to Vienna, Austria, or Vienna, Georgia; Paris, Texas, or Paris, France, you could find people who’d been there and found good places to eat, and some well known places to avoid, both near your hotel and farther afield. If you were looking for recipes for a particular dish, or for variations on that dish, or obscure ingredients or sauces, you could find answers, along with dishes of which you’d never dreamed. The comments were very well informed and thoughtful. Chowhound was an invaluable resource. It was a wonder, and I used it routinely before traveling to a new place or to get updates on familiar places.

Then Chowhound was sold to a corporation and then to another, and they started imposing rules and restrictions and generally acting as if it were a joint enterprise of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Vladimir Putin. Chowhound lost its charm, its utility, and lots of contributors, including me. The departures became a flood, and on March 21, Chowhound will fold.

In search of a similar group, I joined the conversation at Hungry Onion, which has similar discussions about restaurants and food and drink. Hungry Onion is still building the geographic diversity that was key to Chowhound’s original success. Currently, the membership seems tilted toward the Northeast and West Coast, but there are lots of folks all over that can provide thoughtful commentary for anyone planning a trip or a dinner.

And Hungry Onion is picking up steam. The final demise of Chowhound has given a potential home to the Chowhound diaspora, and recently there’s been a flow of people to Hungry Onion, including stars from the truly remarkable Paris discussions.

I hope that everyone who reads this will consider joining Hungry Onion. The more participants, the better it will be, and the potential to recreate the glory days of Chowhound is enormous. Come on. You know you’ll be traveling to see family or vacation or take a business trip here in the USA, the Islands, Europe, South America, Asia … somewhere, anywhere. You’ll want to know how to make your own Limoncello or duck prosciutto or Brunswick stew, or where you can find boerewors in Cincinnati.

Come join our merry band, and reap the culinary benefits.

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