August 2006
Food Blogs
by Celia Cheng
CRAVINGS
Sliders
White Castle
Artichoke Slice
Di Fara
Lamb on Pita
Kwik Meal
FAVORITE FOOD BLOGS
Noodlepie
The Delicious Life
Eater
Despite being slightly shy, Adam Kuban has a lot of friends, being the editor and publisher of two popular blogs on the topics of pizza and burgers. Thousands of people are reading Slice and AHT ( A Hamburger Today) every day to find out what Adam’s been up to lately and which pizza or burger he’s tried. You might think that, by choosing such specific topics, Adam would run out of writing material quickly, but on the contrary, in New York, let alone in the whole world, these two subject matters never grow old — there is almost too much to explore and discuss.
A genuinely nice and easygoing guy, Adam’s originally from the Midwest but has been living in New York for the past six years. When he’s not his alter ego, the mastermind behind Slice and AHT, he’s the copy chief at Martha Stewart Online. So needless to say, Adam writes well. But through the phenomenon of blogging, Adam has been able to transcribe his two passions and share them with the world, all with a good sense of humor too. He is constantly exploring, and as one of the most tech-savvy bloggers I’ve met, he uses new technology to reach out to the cyber community. Another thing worthy of mention is his fanaticism with Flickr. I think the folks at Flickr should be aware that they won’t find a more loyal fan or better spokesperson who is constantly promoting them.
Adam started Slice three years ago, but he conceived of the idea in the form of a zine while living in Oregon. Once he moved to NYC, he started collecting names of much-discussed pizza joints and decided to dedicate time to try them all. While working on his quest, he realized that there’s a site for everything but not one for pizzas, and hence Slice was born in October 2003. Last year, he launched A Hamburger Today to give his diet a little variety. Pizza remains his first love, but he’s also a sucker for sliders and burgers. Considering his repertoire, I’m amazed that Adam’s in such good health.
The interactivity of blogs is the reason why they have become so popular — one can instantly post responses to give praise or start wars. Adam is not a fan of Chicago-style deep-dish pizzas and is open about it. The topic has riled up many readers and started some strings of battle, but that’s also part of the fun. Blogging can be like a healthy relationship — you discuss things and you can disagree, as long as it doesn’t become abusive.
While Slice and AHT remain recreational pastimes for Adam (how in the world he keeps a full-time job and two blogs, I don’t know), and though he keeps his hobby separate from his career, it has earned him much respect not only in the online community but also in the “real world.” His personal online success has secured his status as a forerunner in the field, and at work he is asked to contribute based on his expertise. So who says that hobbies don’t pay off?!
