We had the good fortune of connecting with Bianca Hernandez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bianca, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I decided to pursue making a food Instagram page because, I love Houston, and I love being in the know. Before I started my page, I loved being the go-to person for my friends, to find a good restaurant for dates, for birthday party dinners, and/or just dinner. I was their personal Yelp page. Now, that I started posting pictures, and information on the restaurant, I know they have a resource for information. It also makes me really happy. Regardless of how embarrassing it was at the beginning, using a light and taking pictures in a dark restaurant, I absolutely love it. Foodies all over the world have made it a new normal to take food photos in public, and it’s a fantastic community of very sweet individuals that just like to eat!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently in my life, my food page on Instagram is a hobby. I love food and I love photography so, I couldn’t think of something better to do with my time. Social media allows me to embrace my love for both while learning how to market myself as well. Being a foodie is something I want to make a career out of but, it’s not reality for me yet. However, as a micro influencer, I realized I have a greater advantage over big influencers because, brands want to work with people who have built a community of their own. I made my food page a year ago and what I’ve learned is— the more you comment, like, and share to your story, the more followers you will get and eventually make your way up. Basically, like anything in life— you get what you give. I consider Instagram as a hobby because, I work full time in HR at Memorial Hermann. I’ve been climbing the ladder for so long and once I graduated from University of Houston, I finally got the big girl job I’ve been working towards for 8 years.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite spots to eat include; Crawfish and Noodles in Chinatown, and then you can pop over to Long Coffee for some boba. I LOVE crab legs and the chef at Crawfish and Noodle has been featured on Netflix’s Ugly Delicious. All of the food there is amazing. Cliff’s Old Fashion Hamburger Grill is another favorite of mine- the food is fantastic and the service is even better. The woman that owns the restaurant, Tammy, is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. For Sunday Fundays, I would suggest Present Company. They have a very instagrammable vibe and delicious drinks! For Sushi- I would take anyone to Soma Sushi off Washington (inner loop). It’s delicious and very cute and classy inside. For Nightlife- Downtown Houston all the way. Some of my favorite bars include; Conservatory, Live Sports Bar (their upstairs patio view is unbeatable), Captain FoxHeart’s Bad News Bar also has an amazing view from their upstairs patio. I often call it Bad News Bar, and the first time I went, I felt special because it’s extremely hidden and you have to take stairs to get to the bar. It’s a secret bar that only most Houstonians know about.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My boyfriend, Israel, deserves some credit for pushing me to finally start my page. He is one of the most encouraging people I know and I’m so lucky to have him in my life.

Instagram: instagram.com/houandmefood
Yelp: Bianca Hernandez