More Than a Food Pic

One New Orleans foodie Instagram account, 9,574 food-loving followers and counting, and 395 drool-worthy photos all manifested from Stephen Deaderick’s love of food.

Growing up in a Chinese American household in Long Beach, California, Stephen recalls fond memories of his mom and grandma cooking one of his favorite dishes, Tomato Beef Chow Mein. The international and national family trips enhanced his appreciation for food and the diversity of cultures.

“My parents always say I was the type of person to always try anything once growing up.”

The “food porn” craze on Instagram escalated Stephen’s love for food and desire to try new dishes and explore different cuisines.

After earning a Ph.D. in Higher Education at Ohio State University, Stephen moved to New Orleans, a foodie paradise. Stephen created his foodiegram @thenola15 as a way to discover the Big Easy through its cuisine.

He says the name plays off the college freshman15 and the slight weight gain he experienced while coming to New Orleans.

It is easy to recognize @thenola15 around New Orleans because he looks exactly like his profile picture with his preppy-casual attire, black-rimmed glasses, short brown hair, and infectious smile.

Stephen’s first post was a picture of himself biting into one of Cafe Du Monde’s famous beignets. Since then, he says @thenola15 “took off more than I could have ever imagined.” He says it is a great hobby because it allows him to explore new restaurants and tap into Nola’s foodie community.

“I have made a lot of friends through this -- Nicole and Joey, @evie_eats, @5forks_foodie. I appreciate spending time with them and getting to know them through sharing a meal.”

Two and a half years and almost 10,000followers later, @thenola15 has become much more than a foodie account.

In the beginning, he felt the “the Instagram pressures -- seeing what other people are doing, seeing them grow faster, seeing their posts do better” and the need to post every day. Nowadays, he “cares much less” and posts maybe three times a week.

“I kind of let go of a lot of that and made this my personal account and made it about what I want.”

Stephen says that people know and love seeing other major aspects of his life -- teaching at Cyclebar Nola, adopting his rescue puppy Bruce, his engagement to Tyler, aka @thenola16.

“My page has evolved a lot over the last year. It’s always been very personal, but I think it’s become even more personal. And the messages that I get about that are very rewarding.” Unlike other foodie influencers, Stephen does not ask for money from restaurants to post pictures and story their food.

“Since the pandemic started, our economy and especially the hospitality industry in New Orleans is trying to bounce back. Restaurants are trying to survive, and I am not going to accept anything for free."

During the pandemic and recent events surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, Stephen has used @thenola15’s platform to promote BIPOC-owned restaurants and local bloggers. In July, he did a series of Instagram takeovers with Black New Orleans bloggers -- @letdatgirleat, @nolahousewives, @5forks_foodie, and a few more -- to help amplify Black voices in the community.

Twice a week, a blogger posted on @thenola15 account to share their story and work, ranging from food and drink to lifestyle and fashion advice.

This past October, Stephen reached out to his favorite local BIPOC-owned eateries and had them do Instagram takeovers. This helped owners, such as Kaitlin Guerin, the Pastry Chef at Lagniappe Baking Co., and Chef Nhat Nguyen and entrepreneur Jeff Gapultos of Union Ramen Bar, showcase their restaurants, share their food, and provide behind-the-scenes content to @thenola15’s followers.

“I want to help highlight businesses and people that are often pushed to the margins in society.”