This 11-year-old New Englander is ‘The Shirley Temple King'

Boston Globe

11-03-2025

'This looks absolutely beautiful. … It's got a pink-to-red hue going on,' he told some quarter-million followers
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Since his start, the critic has looked for the same drink characteristics: ginger ale over lemon-lime soda, an appropriate ratio of not-too-sweet grenadine, three cherries, very cold.
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But, now a grizzled vet in sixth grade, his taste has refined when it comes to pairings. He chuckles when I mention an old
'My palette has changed quite a lot. Now, I love pairing Shirley Temples with a good cut of steak, filet mignon. Or chicken parm.'
Leo loved both the chicken parm and Shirley Temple at Strega. He also awarded their Shirley Temple milkshake an 8.1. 'You got that vanilla soft serve in there … decadent.'
Much of the charm of @theshirleytempleking — his legion of followers includes Noah Kahan and
While his parents Lisa and Tom Kelly run his Insta account, the magic of the videos: the well-spoken, thoughtful lil' critic. Takes feel unprompted, often all in one take, authentic (and adorable.)
But food and beverage reviewing — which he also did for a stint as correspondent on
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Strega was just one spot the Kellys — including kid brother Declan, 8, and sister Presley, 5 — hit up on a recent Boston trip. They live in Fairfield, Conn.
Leo doesn't like to give bad reviews. 'I do post them — but obviously, in a respectful manner. Sometimes I'll pop back in to see if they improved. A lot of times they have, which I'm very proud to see.'
He's only slightly fudged a review once, he admits, in December when the Big Man himself, 'Santa Claus brought me a Shirley Temple at Lotte New York Palace. I wanted to be on the nice list — so
Leo Kelly has gone viral on Instagram for his Shirley Temple reviews.
The Shirley Temple King sometimes
'When there's not a lot of Shirley Temples around me, I substitute other things,' he says. 'I love limited releases because I feel there's a level of exclusivity to it.'
I had questions for the tastemaker, so we chatted one recent afternoon after school.
So what made you want to start @ShirleyTempleKing when you were 6?
I always loved filming on my mom's phone, reviewing toys and candy. That really sparked me at a young age — I want to review, I want to critique, I want to make stuff better than I found it.
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I've always loved Shirley Temples. I got introduced to them at a young age from my cousin. Ever since then, they've been my go-to at restaurants.
What do you like about food reviewing in general?
I'm a pretty big foodie. I love trying new foods. Having my own opinions excites me to try new foods — respectfully. I only critique stuff politely. I'm not trying to be rude when I say something is bad.
Were you surprised at the following you got so quickly? You went viral when you were 6.
I was very surprised. It blew up in one night. I remember waking up the next morning, my parents showing me — I thought I was still dreaming.
You were on 'Ellen' soon after. Did you realize then how big a deal that was?
I was too young to understand what was going on, but looking back, I feel very accomplished.
You should. You're also busy with acting. You were on 'Law and Order,' and soon you'll be in 'Guns Up,' with Kevin James. How did you land that?
I got my first role in '
Would you like about acting?
I love putting myself in somebody else's shoes. It's always something that I've always been interested in — it's like living another life.
You took a recent reviewing trip to Boston. You gave Grill 23 & Bar's Shirley Temple a 6. It had lemon-lime soda — you prefer ginger ale.
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I do. I feel it's the original way to make it. It did have cubed ice, which I appreciate.
Cubed is better than crushed?
I just like seeing the different types of ice. Fun ice is better. I love seeing cool, different shapes. But as long as it's cold, that's great.
Alden & Harlow in Harvard Square
. You said their grenadine was 'like cough syrup.'
It was very syrupy. It was just flat soda. It needs bubbles to stabilize it.
What could they do to improve?
They could swap out flat soda for ginger ale. I don't know if they just had a really sweet grenadine, or if they just did way too much. But I think fixing the ratios would definitely skyrocket their rating.
You gave Strega a 9.7. What did they do right?
Everything. They had amazing ice, very cold. It was ginger ale, very carbonated. The grenadine-to-soda ratio was perfect. It almost had a slightly strawberry flavor. They had a Valentine's Day strawberry-heart garnish. That was awesome. The food was also amazing. I got chicken parm. Absolutely loved it.
If somebody was visiting Boston, where should they go?
Go to TD Garden for a Boston Celtics game. [The Shirley Temple there] was amazing, very cold. Two things I loved about it were both garnishes: the four-leaf clover obviously represents the Celtics. I don't know where they found that. They also had dehydrated Satsuma, which is a type of orange. It really added a lot of flavor to the drink.
In your videos, you've got the lingo and cadence of a TV food critic down pat. Do you watch the Food Network?
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Absolutely. Food Network, I really grew up on that. I've always loved watching 'Hell's Kitchen' and 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.' And my great-grandma and my grandma both were always in the kitchen cooking. That's really their love language. I learned a lot from them. Because I cook, too.
Leo Kelly, who is known online as the "Shirley Temple King," with the non-alcoholic drink at The Smith in New York, Jan. 20.
Lanna Apisukh/The New York Times
What do you cook?
I love cooking Italian dishes. I also love cooking steak. We make homemade pizza and our own tomato sauce every year.
Would you want to be a chef when you get older? It sounds like you want to pursue acting, too.
Being a chef could definitely be a cool side-job. When I have kids, I'd love to make them some delicious meals. But acting is my set goal for the future. Whether it's directing, writing — as long as I'm in the movie and TV scene, I'm happy.
What's next for acting?
I'm always auditioning. I get a lot of auditions, and a small fraction go to the next level. There's a quote I love, it has to do with acting. It's like … 'You won't get certain projects because there's always a better one for you to get.' And that's true. There were some roles I didn't get, and I was sad. Then I auditioned for 'Guns Up,' a bigger role, and I got it. I'm happy that my hard work paid off.
Any tips for restaurants making a Shirley Temple?
As long as they're trying their hardest, that's all that matters. Obviously, ginger ale is better. A good portion of grenadine is better. Three cherries is better.
That's solid advice. You seem older than 11.
Thank you. I read a lot. I'm reading a few books right now that I picked up — speaking of Boston — at the Harvard Book Store. '
Follow along at @shirleytempleking. Lauren Daley can be reached at
and
Lauren Daley can be reached at