Maplewood food blogger bags a book deal

Maplewood resident Stephanie Shepard said she had no idea a book deal would come out of a hobby she started five years ago. Shepard, 30, has covered St. Louis food and restaurants since March 2010 with her blog, “Off the Eaten Path.”

“My degree is in chemistry,” she said. “Right now I work in the consumer goods industry, so I’ve always been very sciencey.” She started the blog to give her something non-work related to do. “I was thinking about the things I like to do, and I like to eat and take pictures and write. So I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll start a food blog.'”

She writes her blog in a conversational tone, and she said the book, which should be out in fall 2016, will be similar. “I’m writing for the everyday person who just wants to know, is this place good or what?”

The book will focus on what local businesses have to offer. It’s geared toward people like her mom, she said.

“My mom is super-picky. She likes chain restaurants like Applebee’s and Friday’s and O’Charley’s and things like that.” The book will offer alternatives to chain restaurants.

“The book is going to be like, if you like Applebee’s you’ll like Three Monkeys, or if you like Olive Garden you’ll like Cucina Pazzo,” she said. Shepard said she doesn’t have anything against chains, she’s just big on supporting local businesses.

“Like Tim Hortons opening in Maplewood, that’s cool, but at the same time I don’t want people to forget about Stone Spiral and Living Room and La Cosecha and Foundation Grounds,” she said. “I feel like there are so many local places to go to and support the area before you go to a national chain.”

She said she’s not a food snob. “I’m just really big on supporting local businesses. You can get better food at the same price. It’s a no-brainer to me.”

Shepard said her blog and the book are just for fun.

“Crazy how this little hobby has given me opportunities, but at the end of the day, to me it’s still a hobby, and I like doing it because it’s fun for me and I don’t have to do it. I love my 9-to-5 job.”

Reedy Press is publishing the book. Shepard said they’ve published a number of books about St. Louis.