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Last October, Syracuse local Anthony Tringale posted a video reviewing the house-made Big Milanese Sub at Capone’s Italian Eatery in Rochester. In the weeks after, customers swarmed outside the door, eager to get a taste.

In the year and half since they opened, Capone’s had never seen so much business.

“Once he posted the video it was like, ‘What the f*ck?’” Brian Dezio, Capone’s owner, said. “People were lining up outside, it was flooded in here.”

Eat Local New York began as a marketing company owned by Tringale’s father that promoted restaurants across New York state. Tringale created his Instagram account, @eatlocalnewyork, eight years ago. What started off as an account posting “sh*tty” photos of food has now evolved into his full-time career, Tringale said.

Since his start on social media, he’s gained nearly 63,000 followers on Instagram and almost 30,000 on TikTok. Tringale also hosts the Eat Local NY podcast and works as a social media manager for some of the restaurants he’s reviewed. Last month, Tringale featured Kelsey Ball on the podcast. Ball is the owner of the recently rebranded Kelsey’s Coffee and Friends in Syracuse, formerly known as Peaks Coffee Company.

Tringale’s work doesn’t end when the camera turns off. He also runs Capone’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

After filming his first review for Capone’s, he returned four or five times to try more menu items. Now, Tringale comes in every few weeks to film videos, elevating them from 1,200 Instagram followers to over 9,000.

Tringale pivoted his content to food review videos two years ago, and, since gaining popularity, restaurants in the upstate NY area have requested reviews from him. He keeps track of the ones that reach out to him.

Many smaller restaurants can’t afford larger influencers with millions of followers to advertise for them, Tringale said. By reviewing their food and sharing it with his followers, he gives the restaurants exposure at a lower cost.

“I’m not an attractive person on camera eating. I’m an overweight white guy with a beard in my late thirties,” Tringale said. “I’m a normal person going out there, and at the core, I’m trying to promote these local businesses.”

The relationship Tringale builds with restaurants in the area is reciprocal. He reviews their signature dishes, and while he brings them customers, Tringale garners his audience’s trust.

His audience is a mixed bag, though. Triangle’s social media presence sometimes attracts internet trolls. Tringale said one of the best and worst things about social media is that it gives everyone a voice — even those who have hateful things to say.

“There’s nothing like being home at 5:30, playing with my 2-year-old and my wife and then getting a notification on my phone of a comment saying ‘You suck. I hope you die,’” Tringale said.

Despite the hate, Tringale said there’s also a lot of positivity on the internet that balances it out. Patrick Roache, owner of Pat’s Pigs in Rochester, once commented on one of Tringale’s posts that he had to buy additional kitchen equipment to handle the demand of orders after he posted his review.

“Hearing those stories from restaurant owners makes up for the sh*tty comments,” Tringale said.

Dezio also praised Tringale for his work, referring to him as a “godsend.” After Tringale’s first video on Capone’s, Dezio said his business “quadrupled.” Dezio originally reached out to Tringale because of his personable content and respect for the honesty in his reviews. Tringale said he would put him on the list, and not long after, he came into the restaurant and filmed a review.

Tringale’s videos have a ripple effect, Dezio said. After Tringale’s initial post about the restaurant, viewers told their friends and family. Before he knew it, Dezio was working in the restaurant from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. to keep up with orders. Dezio said the attention has also enticed other local influencers, like Bill Vinci of The Empire Plate, to try Capone’s.

Social media has also functioned as an outlet for Tringale to collaborate with restaurants. Mado Abdel, the owner of The Deli @ 700 and The Deli On Valley, saw Tringale following him on Instagram and wanted to collaborate.

Tringale reviewed both restaurants’ food about two weeks ago, trying three items from their large selection of pizza, burgers, quesadillas and more. He reviewed their chicken wings, chopped cheese, and “heart attack sub” — a sandwich filled with chicken cutlets, marinara sauce, mozzarella sticks, onion rings and cheese.

After the visit, many of Tringale’s followers visited the deli. At their new location, The Deli On Valley, Abdel said the staff was thrilled, as exposure is beyond valuable for new businesses.

“We’re gonna put out food from our hearts, because it’s our name that stands behind it and (Tringale) reviewing our local businesses definitely helps us out,” Abdel said.

Abdel and Dezio agreed that the future of restaurant marketing and food reviews is social media. Food influencers and bloggers, like Tringale, now have more power than traditional food critics over the restaurant industry.

Abdel is planning to expand to social media now that the deli’s two locations have settled down. Tringale also wants to take a different approach with his social media. He plans to introduce other food reviewers to the channels, expanding the range of perspectives his followers gain by watching his content.

“You won’t see (Tringale) at Olive Garden, you won’t see him at Cheesecake Factory,” Dezio said. “You’re gonna see him at local moms and pops. The businesses that matter to small towns.”

Published on February 13, 2025 at 12:45 am

Contact Irene: iclekaki@syr.edu