Meet Joanna Davis: 850 Foodie

Hello! I’m Joanna Davis, resident Foodie expert — a lifelong lover of delicious bites and local gems. Born into a Filipino family where food was a cherished love language, meals were more than just nourishment — they were connection, celebration, and culture. From becoming a Yelp Elite to launching a successful food-focused Instagram page, I now have over 50,000 followers and have judged food festivals, dined across the Emerald Coast, and supported countless small businesses from Pensacola to Destin.

My love for food began in 1979, being born to a Filipino mom. Growing up, my mother doted on me with food, and I can still remember how she would carefully watch my reaction as I took a bite of her delicious homemade meals. It brought her so much joy when I asked for seconds (and sometimes even thirds), and she would beam with pride.

It wasn’t until my 30s, during a visit to the motherland, that I learned food is a love language in Filipino culture. For Filipinos, food is a way of life — whether it’s how they socialize with neighbors, celebrate with a feast (and insist you take leftovers home), or provide for their family by selling food on the street. Food is a powerful symbol of identity in Filipino culture.

Now in my 40s, my mom has since proclaimed her retirement from cooking. These days, I find joy in exploring our local fare and sharing those foodie adventures with the woman who helped instill this love in me.

The evolution of social media over the last decade sparked my curiosity for exploring restaurant cuisine. During my fitness era, I discovered the Yelp app. At the time, I was prepping for fitness competitions, and my strict, regimented diet left the pleasure centers of my brain completely deprived. I would spend hours mindlessly scrolling through food photos on Yelp, mentally planning my post-competition celebration meal.

After the competitions, I would often rebound and binge on food like an addict succumbing to withdrawals. Eventually, I embraced the foodie lifestyle, becoming a Yelp Elite and writing reviews to share my restaurant experiences.

I also became active in local Facebook food groups, but I grew frustrated with the “trolls” and “Karens” who seemed more interested in bashing restaurants than supporting them. As a 30-year local, I was passionate about seeing our food community thrive.

One day during COVID, as restaurants were beginning to reopen, I randomly decided to start a food-focused Instagram account. At the time, I didn’t even know there was an audience for food content on the platform. I started by sharing photos of dishes from my favorite restaurants, and before I knew it, my audience began to grow.

Five years later, with 50,000 followers, I’ve had the pleasure of judging numerous food festivals, being hosted by hundreds of restaurants from Pensacola to Destin, making new foodie friends, and going on countless date nights with my spouse.

These days, the sheer number of requests I receive to spotlight small businesses can feel overwhelming — but it’s truly an unexpected blessing to be able to share the best foods and restaurants in the 850.