About Chowhound

Chowhound is a place for food lovers to discover new recipes and food hobbies and to get into cooking, eating, growing and making food. It delivers food enthusiasts the resources, practical information and support they need by connecting them to a community of knowledgeable contributors.

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Chowhound
235 Second Street, First Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105

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The History of Chowhound

Chowhound was started in 1997 as a message board for people to trade information about where to find good food. You can read more about the early days of Chowhound in Calvin Trillin's 2001 New Yorker story "New Grub Streets" (full article available to subscribers only).

In 2006, CNET Networks bought Chowhound and combined it with a San Francisco–based print magazine called CHOW. In 2008, CBS acquired CNET Networks to form CBS Interactive. Over the years that followed CHOW.com grew to host more than 10 million unique visitors each month to its recipes and the Chowhound community.

In 2015, CBS Interactive re-launched Chowhound.com, again placing the world-renowned Chowhound community front and center, with award-winning recipes and writing from the Chowhound staff featured contextually throughout the site.

The Original Chowhound Manifesto

Everyone has one in his life: the brother-in-law with a collection of 800 takeout menus, the co-worker who's late from lunch because she HAD to trek to one end of town for soup and to the other for a sandwich. Chowhounds know where the good stuff is, and they never settle for less than optimal deliciousness, whether dining in splendor or grabbing a quick slice.

We're not talking about foodies. Foodies eat where they're told. Chowhounds blaze trails. They comb through neighborhoods for culinary treasure. They despise hype. And while they appreciate ambiance and service, they can't be fooled by flash.

No media outlets serve Chowhounds. They've never had a place to gather and exchange information. This discerning, passionate crowd has long been completely invisible and utterly disenfranchised... until now.

If you, too, fret endlessly about making every bite count; if you'd grow weak from hunger rather than willingly eat something less than delicious, this place is for you! Welcome to our community. Let's talk. Let's swap tips.

You needn't be an expert to participate. If you're less food-obsessed than the rest of us, but have a yen for egg creams, gazpacho, or Quisp Cereal, let the resident hounds guide you to the best stuff. Follow (and chime in on) the rollicking discussion -- featuring thousands of messages from characters all over the world.