Meet Ken Carlton | Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Beyondish

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

Hi Ken, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Food unites people. In these highly divisive times, what could matter more? So, at Beyondish, we provide curated reviews of local restaurant dishes and we only do positive reviews. Not only is our goal to provide a useful service to people looking for a great meal, but we’re also helping put bodies in seats for restaurant owners. It’s a tough business, especially since Covid, so we hope we’re doing our bit to lift small business owners. Additionally, our ON THE DISH section writes about local people doing interesting things with food. Again, if we put a little wind into the sails of a passionate entrepreneur, we feel we’re raising the tide for everyone.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was born a writer. And food has been the fuel behind every word I’ve written. So Beyondish is a celebration of writers, photographers and food people. All creatives, for my nickel! What’s more, we have selectively chosen NOT to cover NY, LA or the major food capitals (yet). That means we ARE covering reviews and stories in dozens of smaller cities across the US. Stories have to be found and young new writers assigned. We recruit reviewers in cities and towns all over America and that requires intensive reachout. We have to communicate our message (“Food IS community!”). We have to post daily, run our socials, upkeep the technology, monetize the business, and constantly grow. We’re a small hungry staff with a big appetite. My brain is operating at 1400 RPM at 6 a.m. and by eight at night I generally feel like I’ve only gotten about 40% done. But I –– and our staff –– are hugely passionate about what we do. So busy, happy, and always looking for that next great local dish. That’s a day in the life of Beyondish.

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?
I travel pretty much every back road in America, but I’ll choose my hometown and beloved NYC as tour guide. Get out of Times Square. Put down your “Best of” lists. Hit the East Village, Chinatown, the Lower East Side, anywhere in Brooklyn, Chelsea, the hot dog guys in Central Park. Sample pizza at places no one recommended. Eat dumplings up and down Mott Street. Visit Queens and go ethnic – any culture will do. Follow your nose and the line out the door. Your own discoveries will be as good as anything you’ve read. And of course, turn to Beyondish to find those out-of-the-way finds in Nashville, Tulsa, Minneapolis, Columbus, San Diego, and so on. We’ve got boots on the ground looking for those great local spots so you don’t have to.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Anthony Bourdain! He made chefs real and food the ultimate human experience. Watching him eat noodles on a side street in Vietnam with President Obama was game-changing! From Kitchen Confidential to Parts Unknown, Bourdain has been a huge influence. I also used to love to eat at his Park Avenue NY eatery, Les Halles. That was as real as it gets! His passion and vision is sorely missed.

Website: https://beyondish.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondish/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-carlton-8964476/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondishdotcom/