On a random Tuesday morning in July, I received an inconspicuous text message that read “Hey! Sharing an invite to Beli — an invite-only social restaurant tracking app. This app is perfect for you, and selfishly, I need you on the app so I can see your restaurant lists! Excited to have you on, and make sure to use my link!”
Little did I know, I had just unlocked my latest obsession: Beli. Beli is an app that is essentially Letterboxd for food. It is part social media and part Yelp, perfect for cosplaying as a food critic. Beli allows you to keep track of every restaurant, dessert shop, cafe or food truck that you have ever been to, creating an organized ranking of each experience through notes and photos. Beli offers a perfect way to get off campus and try out Nashville’s food culture, especially since Vanderbilt is now ranked 25th among universities with the most reviewed restaurants on the app.
Beli’s social aspect adds another layer of fun. As an invite-only app, you are in touch with mostly just your family and friends and not any wider food communities. While some may see this as a drawback, Beli’s close-knit design also means that your feed is curated with thoughtful recommendations and hidden gems. This adds to the food journal feel; it’s almost like having a food insider guide tailored just for you by the people you are closest to.
Senior Joshua Mi said he believes that Beli is “the app” for new cafes and restaurants.
“I love seeing where my friends have gone across Nashville and knowing what they order,” Mi said. “Everyone’s cute pictures of these local spots also really set the vibe of the place, helping me decide where to go.”
Senior Connie Su said she enjoys recommending restaurants to her friends and followers.
“I really like how you can see public profiles of people in Nashville and, if you happen to list your university, the top diners at Vanderbilt. This means you can find experienced diners on this app that have over 1000 places ranked, and their reviews will likely have a handle on what local spots are hot,” Su said. “You can put genuinely anything that you thought about a restaurant in your reviews, and it will be directly streamlined to your friends and followers.”
I do the exact same, and my favorite thing to do on Beli is write these reviews. The first thing I did while setting up my profile was add my favorite spots from memory: Toronto’s Cà Phê Rang, D.C.’s ala, Hong Kong’s Sun Hing Restaurant — just to name a few. Every entry I added brought back different memories of tastes, sounds and smells with people that made each of those meals special.
This is what I particularly love about Beli. Beli memorializes each experience and turns it into part of a personal food journal. Whenever I scroll through my copious reviews and notes of each spot, I am reminded of the refreshing, subtly sweet tang of lemongrass soda, the almost-too spicy punch of curry or how my favorite bakery’s macarons were almost too pretty to eat.
In turn, the app has invited me to be more mindful about my food experiences, especially since my friends and I treat each review as a sort of ritual. Rather than shoving food endlessly into my mouth the minute it is served, I find myself taking some time to snap a photo, jot down a quick note and think about what made that experience so special.
It is such a treat not only to enjoy good food but also to create good memories. My friends never fail to amaze me with their reviews: Whenever I see one of their reviews pop up on my Beli feed, I am always left with a grin and a bit of a craving for whatever food a friend has most recently enjoyed.
If you’re someone who loves food as much as I do and who enjoys good memories with every bite, I highly recommend requesting an invite from a friend. The next time you find yourself trying something new or revisiting your favorite cafe, open Beli, and document your food journey!
