Behind @Tastes of the Union: Alessandra Davin, Local Cuisine Connoisseur
Alessandra Davin is the Founder of Tastes and Social, a boutique digital consulting firm, and the creator of the platform Tastes of the Union.
Born in Silver Spring, Davin is a local to the DC area. She majored in Criminal Justice at St. John's University in Queens, New York, before returning to DC to work in sales at Advisory Board, a healthcare research company. This opportunity ignited her interest in creative work and storytelling, passions that Davin channeled into strategy planning, managing daily analytics, developing brochures, and cross-collaboration with various teams.
During this time, Davin was simultaneously running Tastes of the Union, her social media platform, trying different restaurants and bringing awareness to unexplored spots across Montgomery County, Bethesda, and the DC area. She has amassed constant, captivated viewership, with 25,600 followers on Instagram, 13,300 followers on TikTok, and 500 followers on YouTube since beginning in January of 2019. “I feel like it is important to be on so many different social media platforms because people consume content in different ways, and recently, there has been a lot of uncertainty with TikTok,” Davin said.
After gaining foundational experience in marketing and product development in her corporate role, she decided to transition to working full-time as a content creator to have greater flexibility to focus on her passion for “telling stories, working with brands, and doing all of the stuff [she] loved in my corporate job,” Davin said.
Through Tastes and Social, her small business offshoot, every day for Davin looks different, consisting of working with national and local businesses, freelance work for clients and agencies, and attending restaurant invites. A highlight for her was being able to taste-test foods and beverages at opening day for the Nationals last year.
Davin started Tastes of the Union, after moving back to the DC area and trying new restaurants with her work friends. The name, a nod to DC and a play on words of“State of Union,” is courtesy of her husband Tom. She believes the level of diversity, with a medley of different cuisines and dishes easily accessible, makes this area and her platform unique. “[At first] I didn’t realize how much of an incredible food scene DC has,” Davin said.
From her professional perspective, the local culinary landscape has expanded significantly in the last 7-10 years due to the opening of new restaurants with different concepts and cuisines, and as DC, Bethesda, and Arlington have become a hotspot where restaurants from around the country will open a second or third location. “There are places opening up every week. It’s been really cool and fun to see the DC area blow up with community, hospitality, and food,” Davin said.
Davin creates content using her iPhone, as she finds it simplistic to film and as it transfers well to social media, using InShot to put together videos and the Instagram Edits app to edit fonts and text overlay. Her creative process typically takes between 4 and 7 hours, with voiceovers as a focal point. “I really try to bring storytelling into my voiceovers. I act like it’s a conversation I am having with you in the room,” Davin said.
With a passion for highlighting different restaurants, Davin typically discovers them through PR and restaurant invitations, keeping updated with other local influencers’ edible endeavors, and tuning into local news sources such as the MoCo Show, City Cast DC, Eater DC, and Axios DC. She looks to explore more restaurants in Northern Virginia in the future.
As a creator who prioritizes authenticity and bringing her full self to her page, Davin only puts out content if she has a good experience at a restaurant, which she believes is controversial. She opts to provide direct feedback privately, behind the scenes. “I’m not going to post my awful experience online [because] that’s so hurtful to the restaurant. You never know what a restaurant is going through,” Davin said.
Looking back on her journey with Tastes of the Union, she wishes she had been less nervous about others’ judgment, “I would tell myself not to be scared to post. It doesn’t matter what other people think as long as it is bringing you joy and helping others,” Davin said.
Outside of trying the best dishes in town, Davin enjoys working out, reading, traveling, and spending time with her husband, Tom, and 2-month-old Patrick.
Tastes of the Union’s Top Picks
An ever-evolving rotation as Davin is constantly trying the newest places. Discovering the best local coffee shops, dinner restaurants, and sweet treats spots are core staples within her delicious dining adventures.
Best Coffee: Based on how good the beans are, how well they can execute both specialty coffee and normal orders, and consistency.
Neighbors Coffee in Rockville
Simona Cafe in Bethesda, Arlington, and DC
Ceremony Coffee Roasters in Bethesda, Baltimore, and Annapolis
Wild Bean Coffee in Rockville
The Coffee Bar in DC
Best Dinner: Davin’s favorites span an array of different cuisines, exceptional for both their food and service.
Aventino, Italian food with excellent pasta in Bethesda
Kappo in DC, an amazing Japanese wagyu-centric omakase dinner experience where patrons can sit kitchen-side
Caruso’s Grocery, located in Rockville, is one of Davin’s Italian American parents' favorite Italian spots.
Rania, Michelin Star Indian spot in DC
Amparo Fondita, a contemporary Mexican spot in DC
Sweet Treats: Montgomery County is heavy, but Davin’s selections include a variety of pastries, cakes, and ice cream.
Sara’s Handmade Ice Cream in Rockville, Bethesda, and Chevy Chase
Carmen’s Italian Ice in Rockville, Gaithersburg, Kensington, and Olney
Baked and Wired in Georgetown, Davin recommends specifically for their cupcakes.
Ooh La La Bakery in Bethesda
Breads Unlimited in Bethesda