‘Foodie Summit’ gets culinary journalists talking
Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy had wanted a “foodie summit” for the Fort Worth market for some time.
He got his wish July 27 when he joined three fellow journalists at the SPJ Fort Worth chapter’s Summer Mixer at Duong DeVille in White Settlement.
Journalist Eric Griffey, who has written about Fort Worth’s cultural scene for several Tarrant County magazines, moderated the discussion.
Kennedy, The Dallas Morning News dining critic Imelda Garcia and Fort Worth Magazine critic Malcolm Mayhew talked about the state of dining, the food industry and culinary trends across the region.
“It meant a lot to me to share the stage with people I admire for their vast knowledge and experience,” Garcia wrote in a Facebook post.
The event also included a tour of Duong DeVille, a restaurant owned by Hao Tran, who provided the venue and food for the evening.
We welcomed 43 guests, including representatives from Hispanic Communicators DFW and the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists.
Also in attendance was Chris R. Vaccaro, national president of the SPJ, who was presented with a custom branding iron from the chapter bearing his initials.
Two days later, Vaccaro wrote about the experience for Quill, SPJ’s national magazine, under a headline that nicely captured the evening: “Local journalism mixers are alive and well.”
His takeaway was simple: “The model works.”
Vaccaro wrote that local SPJ chapters, such as Fort Worth’s, are at their best when they give journalists opportunities to gather, exchange ideas, mentor younger colleagues and build relationships across the profession. It doesn’t require an elaborate conference or expensive production. Bring journalists together, give them something worthwhile to talk about, and create a welcoming environment for students, freelancers, newsroom veterans and independent journalists.
That’s the mission of our mixers and events.
Vaccaro also emphasized something important in an increasingly virtual profession: Online programming can connect journalists across enormous distances, but it can’t completely replace sitting across the table from a colleague, sharing a meal and letting conversations continue after the formal program ends.
“Journalism has always been built on relationships,” Vaccaro wrote. We agree.
And we’re already planning more opportunities to strengthen those relationships across the Fort Worth journalism community.
