A local blogger’s sweet success

Orangette exists as one of the zestiest food blogs around. Named last year by the Times of London as the number one food blog of 2009, creator Molly Wizenberg continues to dominate the Internet food scene from her home in Ballard.

With her blog, her monthly food column in Bon Appetit and her cookbook "A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table," Wizenberg is right where she has always wanted to be.


Wizenberg, a Standford alumna, went on to get her masters in cultural anthropology at the University of Washington. Midway through her program, doing research in Paris, she made the decision to drop out of graduate school and pursue her dreams—whatever they were.


"I knew for a long time I wanted to work with food and that I missed writing. I just didn't know what I wanted to do," Wizenberg says. "So a friend of mine suggested I start a blog."

Wizenberg grew up in Oklahoma in a family of avid cooks and continues to use those family recipes throughout her blog.

"I was farting around at first with the blog," she says. "I was writing what was interesting to me, and I'm honestly amazed that anybody found it."

Orangette warmly invites readers into Wizenberg's memories and daily life as she beautifully intertwines food and humorous anecdotes.

She recounts childhood memories of herself in the kitchen and allows the reader to become part of her past and present.

Wizenberg's blog remains one of the more prominent Seattle food blogs. She began the blog in July 2004. Six years later, Orangette still stands out among the throngs of food blogs.


"I attribute my success to timing. It's a totally different scene online now than when I first started," Wizenberg says. "You need more than just good photographs and good writing—you need the whole package now."


It was the originality and the passion of Wizenberg's writing that drew one reader to ask her out on a dinner date via e-mail. Through this one e-mail and a flight from New York to Seattle, Wizenberg met her future husband. He relocated to Seattle and together the two of them opened up Delancey, a pizzeria in Ballard, last year.


"It was more Brandon's [her husband's] dream than mine," Wizenberg said. "He's from New Jersey, and when he came out here, he missed the pizza. So we decided to do something about it."


Delancey has become a force to be reckoned with. The wait time is often 30 to 45 minutes, and Seattleites are willing to adapt to patience as they wait for a chance to eat delicious wood-fired pizza.

Because of Delancey's huge success, the Wizenbergs are quickly becoming recognized as rising Seattle stars in the food scene.

Wizenberg even plans on writing her second book about the pizzeria.


Fortunately for epicureans everywhere, Wizenberg also has no plans on resting anytime soon.


Seattle food blogger and The New York Times bestselling author, Matthew Amster-Burton has teamed up with Wizenberg to launch a podcast Web site (spilledmilkpodcast.com) where they combine their love for food, comedy and everything in between.


Wizenberg managed to accomplish what any young person her age aims to achieve, even without a professional cooking background. Yet she still retains her love for simplicity.


"I'm still a peanut-butter and jelly person at heart," Wizenberg says.

To read Molly's blog, visit orangette.blogspot.com.

Carolyn may be reached at chuynh@su-spectator.com.