Steven A. Shaw

Steven Anthony Shaw (June 10, 1969 – April 8, 2014) was an American lawyer and food critic. He was one of the first writers to start a food blog. He was the co-founder of eGullet, a popular online message board for the restaurant community.

Early life and education Shaw was born in Manhattan, New York City, on June 10, 1969. His mother Penelope Shaw was a former soloist with the Erick Hawkins Dance Company. She later was the director of sports programs for the disabled at Hunter College. She is of Jewish and Italian descent.

Shaw graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the University of Vermont. In 1994, he received a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law.

In 1998, Shaw created his website The Fat Guy's Big Apple Dining Guide (www.shaw-review.com). He was known online by the name "Fat Guy". By 2002, it had hundreds of restaurant reviews, essays on food, and dining out, and had around 250,000 visitors per month. officially known as the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, an online message board for the restaurant community. As of 2005, it received over 3 million page views per month and had more than 16,000 registered members. The website was considered one of the first global online food communities. Anthony Bourdain used the website to do research for his television program. He made posts asking for help finding people from places where he was going to film who could provide guidance on local food.

In 2000, Shaw wrote the article "The Zagat Effect" for Commentary in which he was deeply critical of the Zagat guide.

In 2002, Shaw took a trip across Canada. He wrote a six-part series on the meals he had for the Ottawa Citizen and its sister newspapers.

He was a contributor to numerous publications including Food & Wine, Saveur, Food Arts, and The New York Times.

Personal life Shaw was married to Ellen Shapiro. Together they had a son. Turning the Tables: The Insider's Guide to Eating Out (HarperCollins, 2006) The Menu New York: The Best Restaurants and Their Menus (Ten Speed Press, 2003)