Check Out Jamie Neroni’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Neroni, AKA “eatwithneroni”

For the last ten years, I’ve lived in Chicago practicing the hygge lifestyle as much as humanly possible. Now, if you’ve never ventured to the windy city, you can ask just about anyone: if there’s one thing Chicago does right, it’s food. This also makes it super easy to start a food blog. You can actually dine at a different restaurant every day for a year and not even come close to duplicating. But after ten long (fun) and transformative years, my boyfriend and I decided it was time to be closer to family and make the move to Ohio. Enter: the eatwithneroni era

Leaving Chi, there was one (OK maybe two) big goodbyes that were in order. One was to one of the greatest foodie cities there is, and the other was to my best friend, whom I had had the blessing of sharing 5 of those city years with.

Sharing the news, I realized that we had to make the most out of our time left, and with that, on February 21, 2021, @eatwithneroni was born. We decided that no matter what our hectic schedules entailed, every single Wednesday at 5:30 pm CST, we’d get together and share a meal. We didn’t know exactly how much time we had left in the same city, but we were certain to make the most of it. And what better way to catch up and make some more memories than exploring a new restaurant each week?

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building a brand when you have no idea what you’re doing is never smooth, but it certainly is exciting. I had never been on TikTok before and never would’ve used the term “creative” to describe myself. I just knew I was passionate about finding family-owned restaurants that served great food in a fun atmosphere and deserved a little bit of the big-time Chicago spotlight.

I’d say the hardest things at first were the internet trolls. People can be so mean. I’ve had people tell me they hate my voice or that it “makes their ears bleed” or make fun of me, but at the end of the day, it gives you tough skin, and you learn to ignore it. The ever-changing algorithm is a whole other story.

At the end of the day, I go back to my purpose – which is helping to bring business to these family-owned restaurants and find places for close friends and family to enjoy yummy food and that “hygge” lifestyle together.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
When I first started @eatwithneroni on TikTok, I called our weekly meetup “Wine and Pasta Wednesday,” where my bestie and I decided that every single Wednesday, we would travel to a different Italian restaurant in Chicago and try to find the best food. We ate at 39 different Italian restaurants before my pants stopped zipping, and we decided it was probably wise to expand to new cuisines.

People loved Wine and Pasta Wednesday and felt like they were a part of the journey with us. Each week, we’d learn amazing stories from my viewers, like “That’s where I celebrated my high school graduation!” or “My husband and I go there every year for our wedding anniversary!”. We also got to meet some fantastic servers and restaurant owners (shoutout to Roger at Ignotz in Chicago – we love you!)

Since moving to Ohio, everyone has been so welcoming, and I’ve since expanded to Instagram to reach new viewers. This has come with its own set of challenges (starting from scratch), but the Perrysburg/Toledo/Maumee restaurant owners have been so welcoming, and now I have a whole new checklist to tackle!

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I follow a few mindsets that have helped me grow. The first is be 1% each and every day (Atomic Habits and Mikelle Oliver). The second is “be persistent and consistent” (Kristin Fitzpatrick).

I learn a lot from other creators on TikTok and Instagram (shoutout @marbsharbs, @plateswithp, @sergelato + @justines.table)– I’ll spend 15-20 minutes a day exploring growth tips or looking at other content creators within my niche. I find what I like, make note of what I don’t, and try to be creative and experience some discomfort when trying new things. If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing!

I’m also currently reading Brendan Kane’s “One Million Followers” and taking some content classes. I like to play around with different apps like CapCut or Canva to continue to grow my skillset.

I also think the best way to learn is through conversation. I talk to my friends or people I meet and figure out what they like or are drawn to and compare that to what I’m doing. It’s all just a fun journey, and I’m excited to see where it takes me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatwithneroni
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamieneroni/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatwithneroni