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Northern Highlands @FoodCoupleNJ Eats Way To Fame

MIDLAND PARK, N.J. — Karli Damiano of Midland Park and Michael Burns of Allendale – known on Instagram as thefoodcouplenj – got the idea to start an account on Super Bowl Day 2015.

Damiano and Burns take a picture for the 'gram, and a bite for their taste buds.

Damiano and Burns take a picture for the 'gram, and a bite for their taste buds.

Photo Credit: Instagram
Mr. Cupcakes is art.

Mr. Cupcakes is art.

Photo Credit: Instagram
A Market Basket sandwich can be overwhelming.

A Market Basket sandwich can be overwhelming.

Photo Credit: Instagram
Jose Tejas tacos

Jose Tejas tacos

Photo Credit: Instagram

They were buying tons of food to bring back to her house.

There Damiano was, choosing dozens of donuts, when it struck her: “We have to share.”

“We thought it would be so funny if we posted what we ate,” she said. “Nobody would believe it because we work out so much. So we posted.

“All of a sudden, it blew up. I woke up with 100 followers in one night.”

Today the couple – she’s a 21-year-old senior at William Paterson University; he’s a 25-year-old biomedical engineer – have almost 1,120 followers interested in their food travels.

They’ve gone as far as Vegas where the food was “too insane” not to share, Damiano said. They go to New York City and down the Shore but try not to post the typical dishes and places.

Truth is, she even whips out her Samsung smartphone and takes pictures of what they make when they eat in Sundays.

Usually, that would be steaks or spaghetti.

“We change it up,” Damiano said, “try to save money.”

The two met at a gym where she worked. Quickly, they realized they both loved to eat and follow food pages.

So out they went, instantly realizing two important facts about each other: He likes his meats. She’s all for the desserts.

They both also realized, amid the lobsters, chicken cutlets, and lamb burgers, that it’s a good thing they both love exercise.

“I love food so much, I have to work out,” Damiano said. “I’m like, ‘I’m going for a run today and we’ll go get pancakes after.’”

Mostly, the pair focuses on New Jersey and particularly loves the variety of Ridgewood dining.

Their go-to breakfast place is the Country Pancake House in Ridgewood. The Food Couple NJ likes to get abundant food for their money. So the large pancakes and omelets are a real draw.

Ditto for Sushi X in Ridgewood with its all-you-can-eat policy.

“If we’re starving and we’re in a hurry, we just go to Sushi X,” Damiano said.

The restaurant is also a home base of sorts for The Food Couple NJ. That’s where they had their first meal together.

As of a month ago, you can catch The Food Couple NJ on Facebook, too. CLICK HERE.

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