Here’s the thing: I’m no Craig LaBan, my favorite Philly food critic. But, as Marc Vetri implied and Sandy Hingston supported, perhaps traditional food journalism and critique are a thing of the past. It’s no surprise to many of you that I’m a wildly active Yelper. I’ve been known to review restaurants on my blog, and I’ll talk about the Philly food and drink scene with anyone who will listen. And probably some people who don’t want to listen.

No, seriously. The lamb at Zahav will NOT QUIT, stranger on SEPTA! You feel me?!

Because of this, when a friend of mine mentioned off-hand some app coming to Philly looking for “tastemakers”, I was intrigued. What I stumbled onto (thanks to Google and a few email forwards) wasTastemade, an app I was shocked I’d never even heard of before. And, with a quick download and a few clicks of some buttons, I was on it like brown and cilantro on rice (can you tell I’m hungry?)

Tastemade basically seems like a way to rave about your favorite food spots in Philly or BEYOND! However, instead of mere photos and words to paint the picture, you’re able to take videos, mash them together with some built-in bits and pieces like music and filters, and VOILA you’re a regular producer.

You can either choose a quick take (just a few quick snippets) or a “Full Scoop” video, which only ends up being about a minute long.

If you do a “Full Scoop” you’re expected to get on film (read: SELFIE VIDEOS!) and take a bit of footage to capture the ambiance and the food. You can choose different themes for different spots, and there’s matching background music to pair with each (that’s all the words on the bottom, like Quartet, Postcard, UP LATE, etc).

I’ll admit, it took me a minute to knock away the initial oddness of filming myself in random places (‘Scuse me? Miss? Are you filming those vegetables or can I take a squash?) but once I got past it, it kinda felt like being a hot shot Food Network champ for a few seconds. And who better to share the best spots to eat in a city than the folks that are experiencing it RIGHT THAT MOMENT?!

I’ve so far done three videos but, after hitting up the Philly Tastemade Launch Party last night, I’m feeling pretty stoked to do more. PLUS with the impending trip to NYC to visit my best buddy for her birthday, we’re dining at a buncha spots unreviewed. As Claire stated: They’re MINE FOR THE TAKING TASTING (see what I did there?)!

Wanna see me talk about hummus? Interested in capturing moments like this tasty screenshot?

Scope out the @foodsweatnbeers Tastemade Page! Join and let me hear how weird YOUR voice sounds on camera! HELP NORMALIZE VIDEO SELFIES!

(And don’t blame me when folks start walking into tables at your local restaurant whilst trying to capture selfie ambiance all at once…. I recommend sitting or standing still.)