Maryam Pessaran Garg

Food and coffee critic and creator of Rated by Maryam, sharing detailed reviews of cafés and modern dining spots from SoCal to NYC to Europe. My work has 30M+ views on Google and focuses on thoughtful, honest feedback that helps guests choose well and helps owners see their business through a guest’s eyes. I pay close attention to everything from dishes and drinks to vibe and flow, and I consistently recognize the people who bring real warmth and authenticity to an experience. I only write about places I can genuinely recommend, and instead of numerical ratings I highlight where a spot shines and, when useful, where it can improve while keeping the overall experience positive.

Earlier in my career I led product, marketing, and strategy work for macys.com and bloomingdales.com, launching Buy Online Pickup In Store, rolling out free return shipping, and introducing the social media marketing team. I later founded Modmask as a graduate school project at USC, a direct-to-consumer brand featured in a Harvard Business Review case study and related articles, and recognized at Advertising Week in partnership with Hulu. I also served as Director of the Blackstone LaunchPad at USC, mentoring early-stage founders and speaking at universities across the country about entrepreneurship, customer experience, and building products and brands people genuinely care about.