We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Boris Savitskiy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Boris, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

traditional food reviews in newspapers, popular websites, or even Yelp, which often focus heavily on ambiance, service, and lengthy narratives, I take a different approach. My priority isn’t the decor or how friendly the staff is—I want to answer the most important question: What should you order?

That’s why my reviews focus on the dish itself—its flavor, presentation, quality, price, and overall experience. Each review is concise, straight to the point, and packed with useful details. I highlight what makes a dish stand out, any modifications or sides worth considering, and tips to enhance the dining experience.

For restaurants I frequent, like Q by Peter Chang, I take it even further—reviewing entire menus, ensuring that food lovers can make informed choices without sifting through long, generic write-ups. My approach is designed for people who want actionable, dish-specific insights without the fluff—because the food is what truly matters at the end of the day.

Boris, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

After art college, I landed my first job as an Interactive Media Designer and finally had the means to dive into the DMV food scene. Dining out quickly became a passion—after all, who doesn’t love a great meal? But there was one problem: I kept forgetting the names of the dishes I loved.

To solve this, I started taking photos of every meal. This was long before smartphones, so I used my trusty flip phone to snap pictures, not for aesthetics but for practicality. When I wanted to reorder something delicious, I’d simply show the photo to the server. But soon, another issue arose—I couldn’t remember where I had eaten those amazing dishes.
That’s when I turned to social media. I started posting my food photos, tagging them with the restaurant’s name and dish details. What began as a simple Facebook page quickly expanded to Instagram and Twitter. The more I shared, the more I realized how much I enjoyed documenting my foodie adventures. It became a creative outlet beyond my structured role as a User Experience Designer in government consulting.

To give my growing food diary an identity, I created NOM NOM Boris, inspired by the internet’s love for cat memes and their obsession with “nom noms.” Unlike traditional food reviews, I focused on the dishes rather than the restaurant. Along the way, I created Nomster—a cute, ever-hungry monster that became the face of the brand and a playful symbol of my food-loving community. Designing Nomster felt natural, given my love for cartoons and anime and my background in art school. It was the perfect way to infuse personality into the brand while embodying the endless appetite for discovering and sharing great food.

I found that many reviews were long-winded, making it difficult to determine which dish was worth ordering. So, I simplified the process—highlighting standout dishes in a way that was easy to digest (pun intended).

I quickly realized how much people appreciated this approach. Many told me they loved that I was open to trying anything—whether it was a brand-new item from a fast food chain or a dish from a Michelin-starred restaurant. My focus was never on exclusivity but on discovering and sharing great food, no matter where it came from.

Food lovers craved quick, dish-specific insights, while restaurants—especially small mom-and-pop spots—valued the exposure. What started as a simple social media food log soon grew into something much bigger. I expanded into blogging, video content, food guides, and price breakdowns. I even introduced my fun rating system—1 to 5 NOMs—making finding and enjoying standout dishes easier.

As my food blog gained traction, I started receiving invitations to exclusive events, restaurant openings, and tasting experiences. I had the incredible opportunity to judge the Crab Soup Cook-Off at the Maryland Seafood Festival, was nominated as Foodie of the Year by The Washington Post, and was nominated in Washington Blade’s Best of Gay DC. These events were filled with industry professionals—seasoned judges, food critics, and journalists—and then there was me, NOM NOM Boris, a food lover who wanted to share great eats.

One of the most thrilling moments was being invited as a judge for Bravo’s Top Chef National Tour—a high-energy competition where top chefs went head-to-head in live cook-offs. Standing alongside renowned culinary experts, I couldn’t believe how far my foodie journey had taken me. It was a dream come true to be part of an event that celebrated creativity, flavor, and the art of great food.

What started as a simple way to remember my favorite meals has become a platform that celebrates great food, hidden gems, and unforgettable dining experiences. And the adventure is far from over!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Adapting to change has been a big part of my journey with NOM NOM Boris, and I’ve had to pivot twice in significant ways.

Early on, I realized that my restaurant reviews were only visible to my followers on social media, making it difficult to find older posts—even for myself. As my catalog grew, it became clear that I needed a centralized website to house all my reviews.

As a UX Designer, you’d think this would be easy. But designers are notoriously self-critical, and I overanalyzed every detail, delaying the launch. Eventually, I pushed past perfectionism and built NomNomBoris.com, making my reviews easier for everyone to search, organize, and access.

As social media shifted toward short-form video on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, I had to adapt from taking photos to creating videos. This was a huge shift—videos require more planning, recording, and editing, significantly increasing the time between capturing and publishing content.

However, I quickly discovered that people engage with video content even more. I started appearing in my videos, showcasing every bite and reaction, making the experience feel more personal and immersive. I also learned to plan my videos more strategically, ensuring they were informative and entertaining.

One of my most successful videos was about the giant croissant from Fresh Baguette, where I hilariously struggled to find a mug big enough to dunk it in—from a tiny espresso cup to the most enormous mug imaginable. People found it incredibly entertaining, and it made a big splash online.

While editing wasn’t a challenge, thanks to my art school background, my perfectionist side often had me tweaking every tiny detail. But over time, I learned to balance quality with efficiency, allowing me to create engaging content while keeping up with the fast-paced world of social media.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

NOM NOM Boris has been an incredibly rewarding journey—both as a creative outlet and a valuable extension of my professional career. I love shining a spotlight on restaurants in the DMV, helping food lovers discover great dishes, and bringing new customers to small businesses.

One of my most memorable experiences was at Q by Peter Chang, where I reviewed their entire menu. On a return visit, a server recognized me—not just from my review but also my signature red hair—and mentioned how guests had been coming in because of it. He even joked that I needed to update my review after their menu changed—a challenge I happily accepted!

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I combined my UX skills and foodie expertise to create OrderDMV.com, a website helping local restaurants stay in business by listing their pickup, delivery, and dining options. Worried that my favorite spots might shut down, I spent countless late nights ensuring the site was accurate, easy to use, and up to date. It became a vital resource, reinforcing the power of design, technology, and community collaboration.

Surprisingly, my deep understanding of the food industry led to multiple UX design interview invitations from tech companies in the restaurant space.

What began as a simple way to remember my favorite meals has grown into a platform that bridges my love for food, design, and storytelling, making every NOM along the way worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nomnomboris.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomnomboris/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nomnomboris/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nomnomboris
• Other: https://bsky.app/profile/nomnomboris.com
  https://www.tiktok.com/@nomnom_boris