Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings website is already a source of controversy. Less than 24 hours after the long-awaited online destination went live on Monday, November 4, the star was confronted with some harsh feedback.
The criticism currently on the 33-year-old’s radar involves her list of go-to Los Angeles restaurants, which was posted on Monday. Despite including multiple cuisines, eateries at different price points and restaurants in many different parts of L.A., the roundup couldn’t please everyone.
One person who took issue with Teigen’s choices was Los Angeles Times staff writer Jenn Harris who wrote an article about it and tweeted that despite liking the Bring the Funny judge “a lot” she had “some issues” with her food guide.
Upon seeing Harris’ tweet (which tagged Teigen) the Cravings author revealed she had a feeling the lists (there is also one for New York City) might be a source of contention. “Just last night, I was like ‘I’m kind of scared for my restaurant guide. I hope people know it’s just a running list of places we go and love and don’t take it too seriously’ so GOD DAMMIT,” she tweeted.
Though the Utah native initially had a sense of humor about Harris’ article — which likened some of her food choices to “the orange chicken from Panda Express” and took issue with the fact that many of Teigen’s chosen restaurants were located in popular L.A. enclaves as opposed to some of the city’s thriving ethnic neighborhoods — she soon had a change of heart.
“Damn I just finished this and it’s actually super mean,” Teigen tweeted about an hour after the article first caught her eye. “Cool!”
The Target cookware creator went on to clarify that she is “not a food critic,” though she does love to eat and cook. “I don’t go out much. I love home,” she added. “The list is an honest list [of] places that we love when I DO get dressed, and doesn’t mean more!”
When one Twitter follower sided with Harris and wrote that the list “doesn’t represent any of the best places to really eat in L.A.” Teigen clarified the purpose of her guide. “I didn’t say it was,” she responded. “I literally said it is where we eat.” She then shared the description of the guide that appears on the Cravings website, which deems it “all the places that I will get out of my robe for.”
As for the orange chicken dig, Teigen didn’t let that go unanswered either. “Also I do love the orange chicken from Panda Express,” she tweeted. “But I would prefer the house chicken from Pick Up Stix.”
Despite some negative feedback, the response to Teigen’s Cravings website, which crashed just after launching because too many people were trying to check it out, has been overwhelmingly positive. “What an AMAZING site,” wrote one Twitter user. “You have every right to be as pleased as punch.” As another person put it: “Thank you for this.”
