Quentin Meloff — Food Media Is Dying (Here’s Who’s Replacing It)

Restaurant-industry veteran Quentin Meloff (@quentinmeloff) shares how he went from working in some of Toronto's best restaurants — Alo, Aloette, Bar Isabel, Richmond Station — to creating viral food videos that pull back the curtain on the chefs behind the city's most-talked-about kitchens.He breaks down who actually pays for viral restaurant content (and what they pay), why he refuses the cheese-pull format almost every food influencer leans on, how the Instagram and TikTok algorithms decide what wins, and how he's building a real income out of food videos without taking money from restaurants.If you're curious about the business of being a food content creator, the death of traditional food media, or what's really happening behind Toronto's most viral restaurant videos in 2026 — this one's a must-listen.Quentin Meloff — Food Media Is Dying (Here’s Who’s Replacing It)00:00  Why he refuses the cheese pull01:41  Who actually pays for viral restaurant videos03:21  What food influencers really earn (and the Swiffer problem)05:01  Finding a format worth being proud of07:28  Why Toronto chefs trust him in the kitchen09:17  From line cook at Alo to camera in hand13:25  Inside the P&L: why most restaurants lose money14:34  Career highlights at Alo, Aloette and Bar Isabel18:19  How he funds the production without restaurant money20:51  Why pizza videos always beat fine dining24:03  Shorts vs long-form: where each one wins24:52  Going viral in Perth from a Toronto bedroom25:24  Why YouTube long-form is the next move26:00  TikTok vs Instagram: which one to chase27:46  How the videos actually pay the bills30:22  The pressure that comes with paid shoots32:29  Why he iterates on every single video36:37  The state of food media in 202639:53  Launching No Subs, his written expansion41:19  Can a great restaurant survive without Instagram?43:28  Rapid-fire Toronto picks: best date night, best value, most underrated🙌 Enjoyed the episode?Follow, rate, and review Tasting Notes Toronto on your favorite podcast platform — it really helps others discover the show. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.