A chat with… Eugenio Peralta. A man or a locust?
Blog: The man is a locust
Eugenio Peralta, one of the founders of the site-blog "The man is a locust”.
Ci siamo conosciuti a Social Gusto, the event that allowed us to express our experience in the evolution of communication of the food network. As with all the other speakers in the group, I wanted to deepen his knowledge with an interview with me, or better, with my: “A chat with… ”
Today it is his turn, I present Eugenio Peralta!
Conquered like me and many other fascinating eno, has gained increasing interest I live for raw materials and for stories that are behind a culinary tradition. For his site has chosen a definition somewhat’ risky, “The man is a locust”, let's understand why…
National Geographic defines the locusts insects relatives of grasshoppers, that, aggregated to a group, form dense swarms and voracious able to devastate entire plantations with extensive damage to agriculture. At this point I wonder: “But the man is really a locust?”
The oral a Eugenio, a man or a locust?!
I am sure that many of my acquaintances would answer without hesitation “one locusta”, but in reality it is impossible to doubt the cliffs because the two concepts are combined: as stated in the fundamental basis of our association, every human being is by nature led to inerosabilmente consume all the resources at its disposal, leaving scorched earth behind. Just like a locust, note.
- 'The man is a locust', I would say a comparison a bit 'risky…
The comparison has undoubtedly something disturbing, but when applied to (good) table can also have implications very pleasant. I and the other founders Locust we accidentally discovered this common vocation to "brushing tablecloths" during a trip along the Adriatic coast, in the distant summer 2003, and somehow we have tried to share it with a more or less extensive: before creating a traditional static site – locuste.org – then declined in all modes suggested or imposed by the rules of the Web 2.0, on Twitter Facebook via the ubiquitous blog.
- What are the contents of your site-blog?
The contents are restaurant reviews, with a lot of votes, ratings and rankings of merit. Activities undeniably similar to those of hundreds of other sites, blog and community dedicated to the same topic, often much more respectable to us. As the Locust, however, in our work we adopt some distinctive feature: first of all a yardstick very particular, based on the "quantity", ie on the abundance of portions. In tempi di nouvelle cuisine, Locusts defend vigorously the principle that the restaurant should you eat, and not only taste ... without neglecting the other fundamental characteristics of the room to be evaluated: the quality of the ingredients and preparations, service (also as a setting and location), and of course the price.
- What is for you "The man is a locust" ?
Website and blog for me has always been a hobby, as sometimes expensive in terms of time and commitments, while journalism with time has become at least part of my job: for this I have not been slow to mix business and pleasure, trying as much as possible to enrich our web spaces with original interviews, reflections on the most interesting insights offered by the sector, reports from major food and wine events, Vinitaly at the Salone del Gusto. The approccio, however, remained largely that of the early light-hearted and collegiate: to realize just attend one of our meetings to Crotto by Taste, true local totem-association.
- Your reviews have never been followed up?
We have received numerous criticisms, some threatening email and a few ads of complaints (strangely never been invoked!) by restaurateurs dissatisfied with our work. Unfortunately the world is not only made of three-star kitchens and even if something does not work, in our opinion, is the case of talk, in a service logic to the reader. Often, along with many other blogs 'amateur', we were accused of dilettantism: also in this case, however, I would claim our right to explore, inform and express our opinions, as they may seem low-skilled.
- Eugenio, can you tell me if, despite the commitment and criticism, you feel satisfied?
It Cinzia, my passion has allowed me to meet new people and new sources of inspiration. Utopia is turn this into a part of my job, the dream is to offer ideas and information of interest to those who need it. The suction in the short term, instead, is more modest: I want people to trust the pages of our site and stop calling me on the phone when he needs a restaurant ...