These are just a few quotes extracted from profiles in major media before 2001 - the point when we gave up trying to track press.
For those curious, more Chowhound reading here (the harrowing, hilarious tale of my sale of the site to CBS).
Excerpts From Press Reports About Chowhound
NY TIMES"The Zagat Surveys are available at www.zagat.com, and...most newspapers have Web sites, many with archives of local restaurant reviews. But www.chowhound.com leaves all of these sites in the dust."
"Exactly what you want to see on the Web."
"The best web restaurant site."
NEWSWEEK"Thousands of food lovers swap tips on everything from which Queens street cart sells the best Indian dosas to how to get a reservation at Napa Valley's The French Laundry."
PEOPLE MAGAZINE"Food fanatics from around the world swap table talk about quests for Manhattan's top tacos stand, Texas' most transcendent Thai or Tokyo's best shot at deep-dish pizza"
FORBES"My mecca was Chowhound.com" ...and "The Chowhound community has more passion for and knowledge about food than any other on the Internet. Top picks for high-end restaurants in Kansas City? Where to get the best coffee at LAX? You'll find the answers here."
PLAYBOY"Warning don't read this site on an empty stomach!"
NY PRESS"...for in-depth food reviewing that blasts Zagat's capsules out of the water" and....named "Best Food Web Site"
TIME MAGAZINE"The best gooseneck barnacles. The worst crab-stuffed filet mignon. Well-traveled eaters size up everything from nachos to foie gras."
LA TIMES"...differentiates true food lovers--the chowhounds--from foodies, the shallow followers of trends and fashion"
and... (in interview with Simpson's creator Matt Groening):
" I love a site called Chowhound, which is an enthusiastic gourmand Web site that has discussions of great food all around the country. It's the anti-Zagat's, for people who like food a little spicier."
LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE"If eating has become the first great cultural experience of the 21st century, chowhound.com is now the grand salon"
SAVEUR"Jim Leff's remarkable website, www.chowhound.com, [is] a treasure trove of restaurant tips and message boards filled with impassioned arguments...about everything from knishes to cassoulet"
And...
The Saveur 100 favorite foods, restaurants, recipes, people places, & things
"At Chowhound, you'll never be alone with your food obsessions again."
NEW YORKER MAGAZINE (Calvin Trillin)"On chowhound.com, a battalion of food crazies stand ready to respond promptly and forthrightly if a complete stranger wants to know where to obtain the best version of a certain Vietnamese sandwich, or asks if there are any modestly priced restaurants his parents might like when they come from Moline for a visit, or seeks opinions on whether her friend's birthday splurge this year should be at Eleven Madison Park rather than at the Gramercy Tavern, or demonstrates an obvious need to be corrected by a more knowledgeable person on what to order in some new Chinese restaurant in Sunnyside."
TRAVEL AND LEISURE: (T&L 100 Great Escapes: Food)"...a forum where food-lovers (don't call them "foodies"!) can argue over the best catfish po'boy in D.C., debate the relative merits of different New York egg creams, and trade tips for ordering in Korean restaurants (Duh maepgye haejusaeyo means "Please make it spicy")....a voracious enthusiasm for the next great meal. Don't blame us if you get hooked."
MONEY MAGAZINE"A great resource...features region-specific discussion boards frequented by people who take their food very seriously. A roadside rib shack is as likely to be discussed as a fancy white-tablecloth restaurant, and a query about the best outlets for barbecue (or any other food) in a given area usually generates many helpful responses."
CNN.com"[Chowhound.com] challenges eaters to liberate themselves from newspaper reviewers and guide books"
TIME OUT NY"The seminal foodie web site"
TORONTO STAR"A brilliant read"
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER"A must-visit"
WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE"If you can think of a food topic worth discussing -- whether it's heirloom tomatoes, obscure food cravings, or surviving a meal at a chain restaurant -- chances are it's being discussed at Chowhound. This is a great place to go for restaurant recommendations."
ASSOCIATED PRESS (2000 word syndicated feature, appeared in Miami Herald, Boston Globe, etc)"Chowhounds from across the country talk food in voluminous message boards. There are spirited conversations about tortillas in Mexico, an Iranian spice called khah shir, the merits of various Korean dumplings."
USA TODAY WEEKEND"[Chowhound.com has] message boards on chefs changing restaurants, comments on food items, any new ingredients or trends" Kitchen Confidential author Anthony Bourdain, describing one of his two favorite web sites.
BOSTON PHOENIX"The Best Foodie Web Site ...a burning passion rarely seen outside of the Middle East or the Napster controversy. Forget food as a lifestyle. At Chowhound, food is life itself. And who's complaining?"
NY DAILY NEWS"A freewheeling forum for chowhounds from across the city and beyond" and..."A much-loved, much-used hangout site for the food-obsessed"
NEWSDAY"A raucous Web site for intrepid food enthusiasts"