This week, Zagat editor Billy Lyons learns the ins and outs of taking good food photos, not to mention mind reading, with a man who makes food disappear.
Josh Beckerman makes his living by floating cards in the air, but his true passion lies with taking photos of food that remain on the plate. Beckerman, known to his Instagram followers as "The Foodie Magician," is able to blend his love of restaurants into his act, while all of the photos he takes are epitomized by the hashtag "magical."
"I started eating sushi at the age of three, now that does make me a foodie, I don't know? I've always been interested in entertaining, trying to make people laugh and smile, I've always been into magic" explained Beckerman.
Some of Beckerman's tricks include reading minds to discover what chef and restaurant you're thinking of and making you believe a card is touching your face. However, while the methodology behind Beckerman's tricks are up for debate, there's no secret about his love of dining out.
"I started doing Instagram when it came out, and I said to myself, you know what I'm going to just Instagram everything I eat. My goal is to eat at every restaurant in New York. There's over 24,000, so that's going to be a tough goal to accomplish but I'm going to try" noted Beckerman.
Beckerman's passion for food has caught the attention of chefs like High Street on Hudson's Taylor Naples and Lobster Press' Marc Forgione, whom the magician credits as creating real magic through their dishes. On a visit to the newly opened The Pennsy near Madison Square Garden, Beckerman praised Forgione's chili lobster press before correctly guessing the name of the chef's childhood pet. "You never cease to amaze me" remarked Forgione.
For those interested in following along on Beckerman's magical escapades, the food focused entertainer be found on Instagram at @foodiemagician.